Bad Encounters with Vampires
by xxMaddly.Riddledxx
Summary: With his free hand he gripped her face gently, but with enough force to keep her from moving it. Without a moment's hesitation he crashed his lips to hers.- After murdering her father with strange powers, Serena is thrown into a world of complete chaos.
1. Night Clubs

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

"You stupid goddamn slut!" shouted a harsh tenor voice. Which was soon followed by a resounding slap. "You're cheating on me?"

Gabriella Smith cowered in the corner of the living room of her childhood home. Just feet from her stood her father with his fist raised over her pleading mother.

"Baby, never! You know that," whispered her mother fearfully. She raised her arms in what looked like submission. "I love you."

"LIAR!" Charlie Smith shrieked, striking her mother across the face.

"Dad, stop!" cried Gabriella, covering her ears with her hands.

"You stay out of this you little bitch! I'll get to you next!" screamed her father, throwing the flower vase at her face violently. Gabriella ducked just in time, letting out a soft whimper. The blue ceramic shattered where her head had been a second before. Scrambling to her feet, she ran into the kitchen and swiped the phone from the marble counter. She punched in the numbers as soon as the dial tone sounded.

"911, what's your emergency?" asked a serious female voice.

"I need the police; my father is threatening me and my mom! Please hurry, 32 Ashsweet..." Gabriella started to plead, but the phone was viciously pulled from her ear.

"What the hell have you done?" screamed her father, shaking her painfully. He pushed her away from him into the island in the middle of the room. She winced as the counter made hard contact with her lower back.

"You're no daughter of mine," he sneered, reaching into the back of his jeans and pulling out a handheld shotgun. He lifted the gun and pointed it menacingly at Gabriella.

Gabriella raised her hands, attempting to ward him off. Her lip quivered as she said, "They...they'll know it...it was you that did...did this. I...I've called the police, a...and they'll be here an...any minute."

Charlie cocked the gun and smirked. "Don't worry about me, Sunshine."

The sound of the shot seemed to shake the room as the bullet blasted towards Gabriella.

She scrunched her eyes closed, bracing herself for the pain. Yet as she stood there, time seemed to slow. A sudden energy burst forth from within her chest, not painful, but somehow draining. Her eyes snapped open to watch a cloudy mist of white energy stop the bullet in its path before spreading throughout the room in a matter of seconds.

The bullet that had been approaching her was immediately obliterated. She let out a scream, but not before she heard another BANG sound throughout the room.

Gabriella felt the life of her father evaporating into nonexistence as the energy passed through him. Yet the white mist soon slowed and crawled back towards her like an obedient pet. It seemed to surround her, as if to protect her from any other danger, before slowly dissolving back into her skin.

She blinked quickly, her vision blurred by salty tears. Quickly wiping them away, she stared at the scene before her. Nothing had remained unscathed by the uncontrollable wave that she had created. The counters and floors were cracked, the windows on the glass cupboards shattered, and the immediate area around her indented. It was as if a meteor had landed right where she stood.

She saw the gun on the floor not two feet from her, directly beside a limp arm. Charlie Smith lay unmoving on the tiled floor, looking at her with a lifeless gaze of disbelief.

New tears began to fill her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She wouldn't spare any tears for this man. "Mom," she breathed, rushing back into the living room.

She gasped when she saw the room. Half of the floor lay in shambles with shattered pictures, broken windows, and ripped furniture. Yet the other half remained perfectly intact. Her mother...well, she could not tell what her mother's condition was.

The blond girl rushed forward, landing on her knees beside the body. Gabriella gathered her mother upright against her and checked for a pulse. A fresh wave of grief overcame her when nothing throbbed against her fingertips. She gently rocked back and forth as she let the tears fall freely. She looked around the untouched part of the living room where she sat; clutching to her mother protectively, as if her father would reawaken and hurt them again. She hadn't caused her mother's death.

There was an ugly, bleeding bullet wound slowly trickling blood in her mother's chest. It was her father's fault that Cheryl Smith was dead; but would the police see it as such?

Half of the house was destroyed with two dead bodies, and she the only survivor. What would happen to her? Would they follow her if she left? What would they do to her if she stayed? She didn't want to go to jail!

Gabriella gently kissed her mother's cheek, and set her down on the floor. "I love you," she whispered before quickly making her way upstairs. She rushed into her room and grabbed her backpack, shoving all the essentials into her bag, along with the rolls of cash and credit cards hidden in her parents' bedroom.

As she descended the stairs she spared her mother one last glance. Even in death her mother remained unbelievably beautiful, but she knew she would never again look into those startling blue-ish green eyes and feel comforted. She would never again hear the words "I love you," on her mother's lips. Gabriella sighed to keep from crying again and left through the back door, leaving everything she knew behind for what she hoped would be forever.

* * *

Hull, Quebec, Canada

4 years later

"Bloody Mary!" shouted Serena to her co-worker over the blaring dance music in the club she was currently serving at. The attractive blond in front of her held up two fingers and Serena shouted, "Make that two!"

Quickly twirling the bottles in her hands, she handed the three new customers their drinks, grabbed the money and moved on to the next group. "What can I get ya?" she called.

"A quick dance?" shouted tall, dark and handsome back to her.

"I'm working, maybe some other time. What do you want to drink!"

"A beer! And I'm gonna hold you to that dance!"

Serena turned away with a grin, and served the next drunken group of people.

Once things started to slow down at the bar, her boss gave her a look. Serena nodded, understanding her meaning, and pulled herself onto the bar top. With a wave to the DJ, she began to dance, moving quickly with the music. She loved this job. She got paid just as much as any stripper, but didn't have to take her clothes off to get it, just dance.

People once again began to gravitate towards the bar, to her satisfaction, and began ordering drinks like mad.

Serena kept dancing; teasing the people around her while she shook her hips rhythmically. She flipped her waist long blond hair and felt herself get lost in the music.

It pulsed through her like blood, giving her new energy and life.

Then to her dismay she felt a pair of hands reach around her waist and settle on her hips.

She looked over her shoulder only to see the dark hotty from earlier, wanting the promised dance. She turned towards him, grinding her hips to his, and then pushed him off the bar into the wave of people. He crowd surfed through the bar, angrily shouted obscenities at her.

Not caring, she continued her dance. With a final bend and turn, the song ended and she hopped back down from the bar. Once again she began to take orders, dully noticing their club security escorting the guy out.

Her boss, Vicky, gave her a sly grin and continued to bring in the orders, bending down slightly to give a little peep show.

"What a night," sighed Vicky, falling into a chair beside Serena. "You did good kid! Made over 1,500 in tips for us tonight with that little dance."

Serena sighed. "Just another day."

Vicky laughed and handed her a roll of bills. "Take the night off tomorrow, I'll have one of the other girls fill in for ya. It shouldn't be busy anyways."

"Thanks Vick, see you later." Serena waved, grabbing her coat and moving towards the door. Nodding to Bobby, their bouncer, she hid the roll of bills in her bra before pulling the thin material of her jacket closer around her. Shivering slightly at the bitter weather, she made her way through the streets.

After finally outrunning the cops a year earlier at the border of Newfoundland Canada, Gabriella, now known as Serena, had made her way to Quebec to bartend at a club. At first it had been tedious, but now, the lifestyle suited her perfectly. Late nights, loud music, and a fucking good time was what Serena lived for. Well, it was for now. This may not have been the ideal but it was what she had to work with.

The best thing about this gig was that she didn't have to run anymore. There were no cops, no out-of-body mystical energy experiences, and no murders. She was just a 19-year-old girl with more money then she knew what to do with. And she planned on keeping it that way.

Serena sighed in content as she walked, glancing over her shoulder on occasion. A habit she hadn't been able to break after almost four years on the run. She didn't see anyone, but detoured anyways, another habit she had picked up.

She walked almost all the way across the city before finally making her way to her apartment building. But it was then that she felt it. A strange sensation vibrated in her heart, somehow telling her that there was an unwanted presence around her. She glanced again over her shoulder, hoping to visually identify whatever it was that was suddenly making her feel so overwhelmed. But she couldn't see anything. Was it the cops again? Or something even more dangerous?

Her heartbeat picked up-tempo as she hurried towards her apartment building; she had to get somewhere safe and fast. She could see it in the distance now, but it was still too far away. Fear began to build inside her, constricting her. She spared another glance behind her and then suddenly collided with, what seemed like, a solid wall. She fell straight down on her ass in the middle of the sidewalk and swore.

She glanced up and saw the guy from earlier, the one she pushed off the bar counter. He looked down at her and smirked, "You still owe me a dance."

Serena rolled her eyes, and began to get up. Suddenly, his foot swung up and he kicked her square in the face. She fell back down, gripping her burning cheek, biting back tears as she looked up at him again. "But I'm gonna settle for this," he said, reaching down and pulling her to her feet by her jacket.

It ripped slightly, and she let out a scream before slapping him, making sure to rake her nails across his skin. He stepped away from her in surprise and now gripped his own face.

Before she knew it she turned and ran down the street, shouting at the top of her lungs for help. She didn't get very far before she felt herself being jerked back by her hair. She gasped as she fell once more. But she was pulled to her feet once again and shoved into the nearest alleyway.

She was pushed face-first against the wall roughly, feeling his weight slam against her from behind. Still gripping her hair, he pulled her head back, exposing her neck. He kissed it roughly before biting it slightly. She let out a cry of pain, and began to struggle in his grasp. He pressed harder against her and let his hand roughly grab her breast.

She felt the feeling of helplessness come over her as his hand moved down her thigh. "What the hell are you doing this for? Because I embarrassed you?" she asked through gritted teeth.

He didn't say anything but spun her around to face him and slapped her. "That's for embarrassing me. This is gonna be for fun."

Serena felt a coppery substance in her mouth before he slammed his lips onto hers. They were chapped and obviously inexperienced. She bit down hard on his bottom lip, practically ripping it open. He gasped, pulling away from her before slamming her against the wall again. Holding her with one hand, he reached into his pocket and removed a knife. Her eyes widened in horror and disbelief. Was this guy serious?

He smirked at her and slowly dragged the knife down her cheek, an animalistic look in his eyes. The knife didn't leave a mark, but the pressure was enough to keep her silent.

Suddenly a loud WHAM was heard, and his eyes clouded over as he fell to the ground, unconscious. He had been hit on the head from behind.

Serena breathed in quick, shallow breaths, still pressed up against the wall as she looked to her savor. He looked homeless, wearing an old, dirty trench coat and ripped jeans. He still held the crowbar above him from the swing, as if expecting the guy to spring up and fight back. He slowly lowered it and looked to her, then smiled a toothless grin. "You ok?" he asked.

She stared at him in awe. His blond hair was mangled and in desperate need of washing, his face unshaven and smudged with dirt. His clothes hung loosely around his body, his hardships blatantly obvious. But still, his warm blue eyes were that of concern as he looked at her. "I'm fine. Thank you," she said breathlessly. She slowly eased herself off the wall and stepped over the unconscious body. "You saved me," she stated.

He gave her another toothless grin and led her outside of the alley onto the street. "No problem, do it all the time."

Still unable to breathe regularly, she looked at him again. "No really, you did. I can't tell you how happy I am that you were there when you were."

"Heard you screamin', came to investigate. No big deal. Be safe miss," he said before strolling down the street, whistling a strange tune.

It took a moment for Serena to collect herself; her relief was so great. But her heartbeat eventually slowed and she began to make her way back to her apartment. She looked over her shoulder. Not that she wasn't grateful to the man who had just saved her life, but why didn't he walk her all the way home? What if that guy woke up? What if he didn't wake up? Why the hell hadn't her mystical power or whatever it was burst forth?

Troubled thoughts filled her mind as she walked into her apartment, so much so that she didn't notice the two different pairs of eyes following her.

* * *

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	2. The Party

Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story.

Silly me, I doubled chapter 3 and chapter 2 disappeared somewhere! I had to rewrite it but it's a very early draft. I will most likely edit this later, but I needed something for now. It's very different from before because I don't exactly remember what happened in the other one. However, I like the direction of this one better.

* * *

Serena's Apartment. Hull, Quebec, Canada

"Serena!" cried a feminine voice as soon as the blond entered her apartment. Looking up, she noticed her roommate, Lana- a petite brunette with all the right attributes, scrambling up from her current boytoy on the couch. "I didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Listen, Lana, it's been a long night, can't you and…" Serena started, looking pointedly at the guy.

"Shane," he filled in, standing from the couch and holding out his hand with a smirk. He was very good looking; high cheekbones, spiky brown hair, light brown eyes. A real ladykiller he was. But there was something there, lurking behind his stare that made her shiver. And not in a good way. He looked at her, up and down, seeming to devour her with his eyes.

She shook his hand quickly. "Right, Shane. Can't you and Shane go to his place or something?" Serena finished, stepping away from him uncomfortably. After what she just went through she didn't feel like being overly polite at all.

"Oh, but, we were just about to head to a party! You should come with us!" Lana said, moving quickly to grab her roommate's hands. "It'll be so much fun, lots of hott guys!" she added with a wink.

"But we understand if your tired," Shane comments, putting his arm around Lana possessively, putting his mouth to her neck while his eyes bore into Serena's. She didn't like that look. She didn't like the way he seemed to claim Lana as a possession, like she was an object.

"No! Serena you should totally come. It'll be such a good time. Drinks, music, men!"

"That sounds a lot like where I just came from," Serena muttered. And there was no way she wanted a repeat of what happened this evening. She would have told Lana about it, but with this stranger in her house she wasn't about to divulge such information in front of him.

He let out a snicker, as if he had heard her comment.

She looked at him abruptly, frowning. She didn't like this guy. There was something…not quite right about him. She wasn't sure she wanted to leave Lana alone with him for any given length of time. "Yea…yea, ok, I'll go with you guys, just let me change." She really didn't want to be wearing the clothes she was practically just raped and killed in.

Shane ended up driving them, despite Serena's protests. And he had a nice fucking car. For someone who looked to be in his mid-twenties he was driving around a half-million dollar sports car. Did he come from money? When Serena asked he just laughed and said, "Something like that."

They had been driving for about 20minutes before they finally reached the house. It wasn't much to look at. A two-story farm house, basically, with a lot of land. Shane parked his car in what seemed to be a make-shift parking lot on the grass, and helped them both out.

There were beer cups littered all over the floor, a DJ set up in the backyard, tons of people gathered around dancing, smoking, gambling. An average twenty-something party.

Shane grabbed Lana's hand and pulled her towards the house roughly. Yet Lana didn't seem to notice, she just followed like a lost puppy dog. Serena followed with a frown, every inch of her on edge. This was going to be a looonnng night. There was no way she was about to leave Lana with this guy. He seemed…off.

As the door to the farmhouse was opened, the beat changed, clearly another DJ was inside playing his own tracks. The house literally thumped with energy. There were even more people dancing, some making out on the stairs, beer pong was going on in the background, and so much more.

A few people shouted out to Lana, but even more people were talking to Shane as he entered. He seemed to know everyone in attendance! He led them through the hallway, past the living room, and past the kitchen to a room at the back of the house. He opened that door and led them to a couple of the couches. There were already some people seated on the couches. Half of the group was men and the other half women, four of them in total.

The group looked up from their conversation as they approached, and Shane made the introductions. "Guys, this is Lana, my mea…woman for the night, and this tall thing is Serena. Lana, Serena, this is Kiki, Chace, Dee, and Michael," he introduced, pointing to each person in turn.

Kiki was the youngest of the group at 20 or so, with platinum blond hair and raccoon like streaks, large chocolate eyes and pale, pale skin. She was a very nicely filled out woman, with a sweet, round face, but she avoided eye contact with all of them, her head down, hands in her lap. She looked like this was the last place she wanted to be.

Chace was an average looking guy with spiked up brown hair, almost an exact imitation of Shane's. His eyes were probably the best thing about him, a soft blue, but other than that he was unremarkable. However, the way he looked at Lana had Serena wanting to step in front of her to block his view of her. Then his gaze turned over to her and she felt the heebygeebies all over. _Did all these men looked at them like food?_ How did Lana not even notice something was off about them?

Dee was one of the most stunning women Serena had ever laid eyes on. She had long dark, wavy brown, almost black hair that tumbled half way down her back. Her dark eyes were enhanced with dark eyeliner, her eyebrows neatly plucked with an aristocratic look. Her cheekbones were prominent; her skin flawless, her full lips a deep red colour. She looked to be in great shape, only enhanced by the black skinny jeans and black tank top. But she looked at them like they were beneath her, not worth her notice. However, she took in everything about them with a short glance before excusing them. Almost like she was sizing them up before deciding they weren't exactly a threat at all.

When Serena's gaze turned to the last guy on the couch, Michael, his gaze took her aback. He looked at her in surprise, almost dumbfounded. He had short cropped, reddish brown hair and amazing chocolate coloured eyes. From the way he was sitting on the couch she guessed he was fairly tall, over six feet but only just. His body was very toned, almost like that of a runner. He definitely took care of himself.

"Hi!" shouted Lana in her fake, nice voice. "So nice to meet you! All of Shane's little friends!"

Dee gave her a look of disgust before standing up and saying, "Excuse me."

Lana's smile faltered, but she turned to the rest of the group still sitting on the couch. Her smile grew wider. "So, how long have you all known each other?"

Shane took Dee's vacant seat and pulled Lana on top of him. "That's not important," he commented before plastering his face to hers. With that, Kiki also got up from her spot on the couch and vanished.

"Uh…if you'll excuse me, very nice to meet you both," Serena said, also vacating the room. Michael still looked at her with the bewildered look in his eyes, but Chace got up and followed her out.

"So, how do you know Shane?" he asked, walking beside her.

"Oh, he's just dating my roommate. They asked me to come to this party…" she replied, stretching the truth. But he didn't need to know that.

"Well, I'm happy you came here, Serena," Chace said with a smile. She thinks it was meant to be charming but it almost made him look a little creepy…

"Uh…I'm not sure it was such a good idea. I'm not a big drinker anymore."

"Aw that's too bad. Well maybe if you aren't drinking, you should at least be dancing. How about a dance?"

Serena gave him a smile, "That sounds great, but I really need to go to the ladies' room. If you'll excuse me?"

"Well, if you change your mind, I'll be in the back room," he said with a smile.

A short time later, after the ordeal of having to try to find the bathroom, eventually going into the bathroom, and finding her way back to the main floor, she made her way back to the backroom to check on Lana. _All of that just to avoid a dance, she was unbelievable_, she thought to herself.

Pushing open the door she found Lana and Shane still making out on the couch, while Chace and a couple of other guys sat around a table playing poker. Chace looked up when she entered and gave her a smile, waving her over.

Serena sighed, but did as requested, moving to the table surrounded by men. She didn't like this too much.

"You back for that dance?" Chace asked with a grin.

"Not quite."

"Do you want in on the game?" asked one of the guys, holding up the deck of cards.

"Oh no, it looks like you are well into it," she declined with a smile.

"Then at least have a drink," said Chace, offering up his. "Whiskey sour, nothing too fancy."

Serena looked at the drink, then flicked her gaze over to Lana and Shane before looking back to the drink. "Sure, why not. What else am I going to do all night?" She took the glass from Chace's hand, missing the knowing looks some of the other guys gave Chace.

"Bottoms up," he said with a mischievous grin.

* * *

It wasn't long before Serena felt like she was going to melt into the floor. Her vision was blurring, and people seemed to be blending together. "I don't feel well…" she muttered, stumbling up from her seat before collapsing on the nearest couch.

"Here let me help you," offered Chace, joining her slumped form on the couch. His arm draped itself across her shoulders, his body pressing into hers uncomfortably. She shook her head, but he pressed even closer, angling his face towards to neck.

"No," she tried to say, but it barely came out. She tried to move herself away from him but all she felt was weak. What the hell was in her drink?

"You look like you need a…quiet place to rest. Do you want me to take you somewhere quiet?"

"No…no…" she looked up towards where Lana and Shane had been sitting, but they were no longer there. "No!" she shouted, using all her energy to sit upright.

He was pushed away from her with her sudden movements, and looked at her in bewilderment.

"I have to go," she said staggering to her feet and making her way out of the room.

Getting over his surprise, Chace stood and followed her out. "Where are you going? You should really sit down…"

"Shut up," she said, pushing the haze of people that appeared before her out of her way.

"Really, Serena, you don't look too good, let me take you…"

"I said no!" Serena shouted, pushing him into the wall behind him. If she hadn't been so out of it she would have noticed that his body made an imprint in the wall from the force of her push. His eyes followed her in amazement. _How the hell did she do that?_

"Has anyone seen Lana?" she asked. She repeated the question over and over as she stumbled throughout the house, hoping beyond hope that she would find her. She didn't know what was going on but she had such a bad feeling…they needed to leave _right now_.

"Upstairs," someone finally answered.

Serena was barely holding it together at this point; she almost had to crawl up the stairs.

"Serena?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

She looked up from her position on the stairs to see the reddish browned haired guy from before. He was one of Shane's friends…Michael? "Mike…Michael…I need to find Lana…please, help me find Lana."

Strong hands gripped her forearms to help her into a standing position. By this time Serena's vision was barely able to make out shapes let alone details of someone's face, but she knew what she felt, and she felt a long strong body keeping her upright. "It's ok," he said, "I've got you now." He basically carried her up the rest of the stairs onto the second floor landing and began walking her down the hall.

She was about to say her thanks when he cut her off. "Do you know how long I've been waiting to talk to you? How long I've been living with this…this hole where my heart should be? But ever since I saw you, in a bar of all places, serving drinks months ago, I knew you were the one. The person I was meant to spend the rest of my existence with, the one…"

Serena snapped her head towards his with the last remaining bits of strength she possessed. "What?" she couldn't understand him, what was he even saying?

They stopped walking. Michael leaned her against the wall but didn't move any closer to her. She felt his hand stroke her hair. "Do you know how long I've wanted to taste you?"

Through the haze of whatever she had been drugged with, Serena knew something was wrong. _What the hell was he saying?_ If only she could understand the words. _What was happening here?_

"I've waited, watching, for so long…"

Serena stumbled past him right before he could move closer, "Lana! Where are you?"

A piercing scream echoed from the door to her right, and she wasted no time staggering towards it. Putting all her body weight into it, she finally got the door open.

There, standing before her, was Shane and Lana. Shane was holding Lana's upper arms, kissing her neck. It took her a second to see the blood dripping from her roommate's neck. "Lana!" she tried to shout, but it came out in more of a whisper. Her energy was quickly fading. She wasn't even sure how she made it this far. "Let go of…"

Strong arms encircled her waist, leaning her back against a muscled chest. "This is for your own good," a familiar voice said into her ear before closing a white cloth over her mouth. She tried to scream out, but it died in her throat as her vision finally faded. The last thing she could make out was Lana falling from Shane's hands like a ragdoll before darkness took over.

* * *

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	3. Kidnapped

_Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story._

* * *

Unknown Location

Serena slowly opened her eyes with a sigh. _What a crazy dream_, she thought as she stretched her arms out on her bed. However, the stretch was stopped short as her wrist was held back with a clang of metal.

Her eyes came open with a snap and she found herself wide-awake. _Not a dream_, she thought. She looked to her wrist and noticed a metal handcuff around it. Panic rose in her chest when she saw that it was also chained to the bedpost of the bed she was lying in.

Her eyes widened as she looked about the room. It looked normal enough, just a bed, a night table, and a pair of doors across from her with another set to the left. _What the hell?_

She sat up straight, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. _What exactly had happened last night? _She remembered work, being attacked by an idiot then saved by a random homeless man, the party, Chace, Michael, and trying to find Lana. _Oh no_, she thought fearfully.

That meant Lana had actually been bitten. That meant her roommate was actually dead! A wave of grief came over Serena as she held back tears for the death of her closest friend. So what if Lana had been somewhat of a bitch, she didn't deserve to die like that. To be eaten by a cannibal!

No, this was too farfetched. It couldn't have happened. But wasn't it just four years ago when she killed her father with a strange mystical energy in an attempt to save her mother? There were strange things out there…and she had no doubt that they were holding her prisoner.

Serena looked at the bedpost again. She wasn't going to stay here to end up like Lana; she was going to get the hell out of here. If only she had something to break the chain with.

Inspecting the room again, she found nothing that was within her reach that could help her. She groaned in frustration and pulled the metal on the bedpost fiercely. After several long minutes of tugging the bedpost, she stopped and let out a growl of frustration.

_What the hell am I going to do?_ She asked herself. Suddenly, as if hearing her plea, she felt something inside her move. It felt like a butterfly was fluttering its wings in her chest. Then, to her amazement, a strange glowing light flowed from her fingertips to the metal around her wrists.

It surrounded the metal, as if to embrace it, before disintegrating it before her eyes. As the energy crawled back into her skin, she let out the breath she had been holding. Holy shit.

What the hell was she? How could she do this? She shook her head of such thoughts.

She'd worry about what she was once she got out of here.

Wincing when the bed creaked as she stood, she hurried to the door to her left and pressed her ear against it. She heard nothing. Cautiously opening the door, she poked her head through and glanced in both directions. The hallway looked normal and completely empty. _What sort of kidnapping is this?_ She thought to herself as she turned to the left and crept down the hallway.

Serena glanced about her fearfully, expecting someone to jump out at her and yell SURPRISE! But no one was there. She passed only one door before meeting an intersection. _Shit_, she thought, looking down both ways. Straight ahead of her lead to an arrangement of couches, to the right, more doors and a dead end, and to the left, more doors.

Suddenly her breath hitched in her throat. She heard voices. Serena ran down the left hallway and ran into the first door she came to, also on the left. She closed the door quickly and pressed her ear against it once again. The voices came closer before fading off into the distance. _Must have turned down the other corridor_, she thought. She let out a deep breath and turned in the room she was currently standing in…and then wished she had picked a different hallway.

The room was dimly lit, but there was just enough to see the horrific scene that played out before her.

On the bed not ten feet from her lay a naked woman bleeding severely from numerous cuts all across her body. She was motionless as the blood pooled around her, leaving the once white sheets coated with countless liters of blood.

At her intrusion, the woman turned her head slightly to glance at Serena, but made no move to stop the shirtless man that was straddling her from drinking her blood.

Serena held back a scream as two glowing red eyes shot up from its meal to stare at her.

Every instinct in her told her to run but she was frozen, breathless at what was happening in front of her. She was terrified, but couldn't move to save her own life.

The man twitched and pulled himself from the body beneath him to stand on the floor.

She seemed to snap out of the trance and wrenched open the door, but it was slammed shut with such a force that she was also pushed into the door. She looked at the large hand currently beside her head, keeping the door close and felt a ripple of fear surge through her body.

Turning ever so slowly, she glanced up to look at the face of the red-eyed man before her.

Her breath caught again.

He was terrifying, but beautiful. He towered over her, dark locks falling into his angry, lustful glowing eyes. A power radiated from him that didn't come from his amazingly built body.

Serena's lower lip trembled as she opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to make a sound. She flinched when he brought a smooth, large hand up to caress her cheek. He still had that glare, but his touch remained gentle.

"I…I was just leaving," she said, her voice barely a whisper. She slid slightly away from him, only to have his other hand slam beside her head, trapping her in between both of his arms. She flinched again.

That he wasn't speaking made her even more scared then she would have ever been if spoken to. Vicious taunts or ruthless threats would have been much preferred to his disturbing silence.

He leaned in closer to her, closing the distance between their bodies, and Serena felt herself pressing her back into the wall, wishing she could disappear through it. He leaned closer still, tilting his head towards her, and inhaled deeply.

She struggled suddenly, pushing at his arms, and kneeing him hard between the legs. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and groaned in pain, leaning into her to support his large form. Serena felt bruises forming from his iron grip and immediately regretted her actions. She had expected him to go down with a knee to the family jewels.

Once his pain seemed to fade away, he slammed her against the door. "Whose are you?" he demanded furiously in a low baritone voice, the fangs peeking out slightly when he spoke.

Serena fought against the fear rising into her throat and turned her head away from him. Vampires.

He shook her again, "That requires an answer slave!"

Her head snapped towards him as she hissed, "I am no one's slave."

He shook her a third time, pressing his body flush against hers. She could feel the hardness of his muscles through the mini dress she still had on from the night before and closed her eyes.

"Who brought you here?" he demanded.

"Shane," she answered, thinking of the only name she knew.

"No wonder you ran from him," he sneered down at her.

She was about to snap back when he continued, "No doubt he'll thank me for breaking you in." He pressed even closer to her, ensnaring her with his body.

With a sudden determination Serena stomped on his foot, causing one of her arms to be released, allowing her to throw one of the nastiest right hooks of her life. But even then his head only turned slightly, before it turned back to her. With a growl and a new fire in his eyes, there wasn't even a pause before he violently grabbed her waist and flung her threw the air.

Serena cried out in surprise as she prepared for the painful landing, but only let out a soft "Ugh" as she landed on top of the body on the bed. She felt a scream rise in her throat out of disgust, but the wind was knocked out of her by the man's weight. He had jumped on top of her, forcing her to sink further into the pools of blood around her. She let out a whimper as her wrists were grabbed with one of his hands and held in the air, lifting her slightly off the body so he could push it unceremoniously to the ground. She was dropped back down as his weight overpowered her, stretching out over top of her. The flimsy material of her dress was all that separated them from being chest to chest.

Serena struggled under his weight, buckling her hips in an attempt to throw him off. It was useless though. He had her trapped beneath him and he could do anything he wanted right then and there.

Tears pulled at the corners of her eyes and he grabbed her wrists again with one hand and held them above her head. With his free hand he gripped her face gently, but with enough force to keep her from moving it. Without a moment's hesitation he crashed his lips to hers.

* * *

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	4. His Room

_Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story._

* * *

_His_ Room

_And without a moment's hesitation, he crashed his lips to hers. _

Serena was completely taken aback at his sudden onslaught of her mouth. His incredibly, and unexpected, soft lips moved rhythmically with hers, uncovering a new passion within her that made her feel weak. If she hadn't been lying down, her legs would surely have crumbled beneath her.

She felt him let go of her wrists, and she unknowingly wrapped them tightly around his neck, bringing him closer to her. His fingers touched the hem of her dress, caressing her smooth thigh before ascending upwards. His parted her lips once more, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth. He tasted like blood and whiskey.

Serena's eyes widened as she suddenly snapped to her senses. His red eyes were also open, staring down at her as their tongues battled for control. She bit down hard and felt him recoil from her.

He smirked at her, his hand leaving her dress and moving to her waist, pulling her to him in one motion. She gasped. "If I had known we were biting," he remarked. With that he took her hands from his neck and clamped a new pair of cuffs to them, chaining them to the backboard of his bed. She felt a rage instantly fill her as he sat up and straddled her. He looked down at her and she noticed that his eyes glowed a new ferocious red tint. He brought his hands slowly up her thighs and across her stomach to cup her breasts gently. His movements caused the spread of a thick, red substance across her body where he touched her. _Blood._

"If you're going to kill me do it already!" she snapped angrily, swinging her hips wildly in an effort to somehow through him off. This, however, was having the opposite effect and brought him closer to her, forcing her to notice the growing bulge now resting on her lower stomach.

His mouth slowly descended to ear but his hands remained where they were, gently caressing and pinching slightly. He inhaled and released a non-existent breath. "Are you really in a rush to die?"

"Does it matter what I want?" she retorted, moving her head slightly away from him. He followed her with his own. Then her breath caught when he pinched her hardening nipple again through two layers of material.

"Not really."

"Then why ask?" she snapped, unconsciously buckling when he touched a sensitive spot.

He gripped her head in both of his hands and forced her to look at him. He was so ferociously beautiful she had to fight to remember he was psychotic! He was also a vampire that would most likely kill her in a few seconds. But the way his dark locks of hair fell into his eyes had her mesmerized. The strength of his jaw, the hardness of his body, everything about him displayed strength and danger.

He stared into her eyes with a smirk on his lips, searching for something she couldn't quite tell. "Perhaps I could prolong our time here together," he whispered to her, "but only if you really begged."

"Not to the likes of you," she hissed, attempting to turn her head again, but found his grip quite unmovable.

He said nothing more as he kissed her lips, startling her with the gentleness. He brought his hands slowly up from her breasts to her neck, then her cheek before caressing back down. He kissed her neck before gripping it fiercely and biting down hard.

Serena screamed then, feeling his sharp pointed fangs dig into her neck. She struggled against him even though she was immobilized as he lay over her body. She could feel her life slipping away with each sensual intake of her blood.

She felt as if she were being lulled into a trance as a sudden numbness came over her. She stopped fighting and soon she stopped moving altogether as the corners of her eyes darkened quickly.

And suddenly the pain was gone, and the weight was lifted. She could breathe again. Her vision returned slowly, but slightly blurred. She seemed to be paralyzed, unable to lift her head to see where the angered voices were coming from around her.

"Put pressure on the wound," said an unknown, worried male voice somewhere to her right. Serena then felt a soft pressure on her neck as she turned to see look at the new people. All she could make out was a petite figure with a mass of hair.

"What's the point Michael?" hissed the vampire who had just bitten her, "Only to drink her dry later when someone else catches your attention?"

_Michael, where had she heard the name before? _There was a loud SLAP as the other male voice snapped, "No!"

The hand on her neck was suddenly pushed away, only to be replaced immediately by another. With unbelievable care, she was lifted from the bed and her hands were unchained. She could make out a dark shape holding her against its chest, and wished her vision would return.

"You won't be able to help it," muttered the vampire of the room as she was carried past him. She could tell he was looking at her, even in her current state, and she felt a shudder through her entire body. She knew she had to struggle against this new captor, but she could hardly move.

"Will she turn?" asked the voice named Michael to an unknown presence, no doubt the petite figure with the mass of hair.

"No," whispered a soft feminine voice. The click of a door closing brought on a clearer view and she could see herself being brought towards a bed. Serena was lowered slowly onto it and tucked under the warm duvet. A cold cloth was then pressed to her forehead and a soft hand caressed her cheek.

"How did she even escape?" snarled the voice belonging to this 'Michael'. "I thought you had cuffed her!"

"I did, she must have slipped them."

"Well I don't see them anywhere around here!"

"This will only hurt a moment," whispered the soft voice to Serena. "I promise."

The sharp tip of a needle pressed into her arm and Serena finally entered the darkness that had been threatening to overtake her.

* * *

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	5. Staying

_If you guys have any suggestions for the story just let me know, I'm all ears. Complaints, praise, whatever. _

_Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story._

* * *

The Same Unknown Place

Serena felt herself awaken sometime later to the sounds of soft murmuring throughout the room. She opened her eyes slowly, hoping once again that it had all been a bad dream and Lana had just brought a few people home with her from the party. To Serena's dismay, she was in the same room she had woken up in before…minus the chains around her wrist.

Instead three women stood huddled together at the foot of her bed, their heads bowed as they whispered softly to each other. They obviously thought she was still asleep. Serena inwardly shook her head and took in their appearances. Although they didn't look related, she noticed that all had similar characteristics. They all had some sort of shade of brown for their hair, a green shade for their eyes, and petite bodies. They looked a minimum of 2 inches shorter then herself, one of them maybe half a foot shorter.

As she looked closer at each of them individually, she noticed that there were subtle differences between them, as well as similarities. The first girl to the right of the circle was the shortest of all of them, yet she looked the oldest at 28. She had massive curly, chestnut colored hair, understanding light green eyes, and a heart-shaped face. She stood at 5'3" wearing baggy jeans and a short cropped white top over her thin frame. She was in deep conversation with the girl straight across from Serena.

The girl conversing with the oldest was the tallest of them all at 5'7" with dreaded brown hair, unsettling emerald eyes, and a stick thin figure. She seemed to be overly drastic with her application of makeup, but if she didn't Serena was sure that the girl would be extremely beautiful. There was something about her that made her strangely unattractive to Serena. Maybe it was the way she held herself above the rest of them in the room as if she were a God, or maybe it was the way she was currently whispering orders to the other girls, even though she looked to be the youngest, maybe a year younger then Serena. Perhaps it was the fact that she wore a skintight tube top and even tighter jeans showing off her insanely skinny stature? Whatever it was, Serena felt a sudden dislike for her.

The last girl remained quiet to the left of the circle, keeping her head down, but rolling her eyes occasionally at what the second girl was saying. Even though she was the most inaudible, she was the most interesting to look at. Her long wavy chocolate locks hung just past her shoulders, soft enough to invite hands to run through it, and her hazel eyes danced with an unknown humor. This girl looked like she knew a lot more then she let on. She was average height, and looked to be Serena's age.

Their whispering suddenly stopped, and Serena realized that they were looking at her.

"Hi," said the first girl with the mass of hair loudly. She smiled brightly at Serena, and Serena couldn't help but like her immediately. And she sounded vaguely familiar… However, Serena couldn't think much about it when the three girls looked at her so expectantly.

"Um…hi…" she replied awkwardly, sitting up in the bed. "Are you vampires too?"

The first girl smiled again, but it didn't quite reach her eyes this time, "No, we work here."

"You work here?" Serena asked incredulously. People actually worked for vampires?

"Believe me, it's not by choice," snorted the third girl she had looked at.

"Mel," whispered the first girl, as if to reprimand her, almost motherly… To Serena she said, "I'm Liz, that's Alyssa with the dreads, and that's Melissa…"

"Mel," snapped the third girl, the one with wavy hair.

"Only Michael's allowed to call her Melissa," sneered the one called Alyssa.

Mel looked like she was about to snap back when Liz interrupted. "Serena, we know it's difficult for you to be taken from your home but the faster you accept your fate here the easier it will…"

"Easier? What the hell are you talking about? I've been kidnapped! Things will just suddenly be peachy being captive in a house full of vampires and their workers, will it?" shouted Serena, jumping up from the bed. She took on a defensive stance in front of them and thanked her mother silently for her domineering height. "You expect me to stay here with vampires that will try and eat me every time I go into a room?"

"Serena," pleaded Liz.

"No! You might be willing to stay here, but I'm not! I'm leaving," Serena declared, pushing them aside as she walked to the door leading out into the hall.

"I think you might find that a little difficult, Serena," said a voice to her right, from the double doors located across from the bed.

She turned around to the intruder and her mouth fell open. It was the guy from the party. The one that had been staring at her in surprise for most of the night, with the short cropped reddish brown hair and amazing blue eyes. Michael. "You brought me here?" She had a feeling they had an interaction later on in the night, but the memory was too fuzzy. The drugs had been too intense.

He stepped closer to her and she noticed that he was extremely attractive without his eyebrows shot to his hairline. 6'1" with a very toned body, although not as built as the other vampire that bit her, but he was still well defined. He looked relaxed, standing there with his hands in his pockets and the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Michael," all three of the girls said together behind her.

"Ladies," he said, inclining his head slightly. Liz smiled warmly, Alyssa giggled, and Mel glared as Michael took the last couple of steps between him and Serena. "I see you've met Serena, my guest. If you would please make her feel at home during her stay here, and give her anything she wants, I'm sure everything will turn out fine," he said, never taking his eyes off Serena.

"What I want is my life back," whispered Serena dangerously. "To go home."

"Ladies, if you'll excuse us," Michael said, dismissing them. They left quietly, giving her and Michael brief glances as they walked by before shutting the door gently.

Serena felt her ire rising as she watched them leave. _What gave him the right to keep them here against their will? And why did they listen? And why the hell was she considered a guest when they were forced to work?_ Her breathing became steadily difficult as she almost shook with unreleased rage.

"I realize you must be angry," he commented, looking down, almost shamefully.

And with that she snapped. "Angry? ANGRY?" she shouted at him, pushing him away from her. "The one person I cared more about than the entire world was killed right in front of me, you kidnapped me, chained me to a bed, I saw yet another innocent girl killed and then was almost killed myself. Now I'm told that I have to stay here, against my will no less, by YOU! No, of course I'm not angry," she whispered the last part, and if looks could kill, Michael would have been skewered, cooked, and buried.

Michael sighed. "Don't scrunch your face up like that it's very unbecoming."

Serena's eyes bulged out of her head as she stared at him. He was serious. "How dare you? Who the hell do you think you are to keep people here? To keep me here! And then you tell me my face looks ugly scrunched up?"

Michael said nothing, but stared at her for a long time before sighing again. "Serena…"he started, but then he stopped, as if thinking about something different to say. "Serena, you aren't supposed to be here."

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"You saw something that you weren't supposed to, forcing me to either kill you or bring you here. I chose to bring you here."

Serena was struck speechless. What? Was he serious?

"For the protection of my coven I had to bring you here to keep you from telling anyone about us. About vampires."

Serena looked at him incredulously. He was serious, completely and utterly serious. "Then maybe you shouldn't go around eating people!" she retorted.

"Serena, I wouldn't expect you to understand, but please try. Vampires are different from humans…"

"Don't have to tell me that…" she mumbled. He gave her a look, and she begrudgingly kept quiet.

"You're not a prisoner here Serena, but you do have to stay."

"What about those other girls?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why do they have to stay? Why do they have to do what you tell them to do?"

"They work for me. I brought them here from their homes, with their permission," he added the last part at her look of disgust.

"You mean they agreed to go with you?"

"You'll find that I can be very persuasive," he grinned.

"But Mel wants to leave now, why are you still keeping her here?" Serena asked angrily, her face 'scrunching up' again.

"Serena, all the people that work here know about us now. They know where we live, what businesses we own, where we hang out, and the hierarchy of the covens. If we were to let them go and they told our enemies, it could result in our extinction."

Serena stared at him intently, letting what he had just said sink in. She didn't like the fact that people were kept here against their will, but if they had chosen to come here in the first place then it was really their fault…right? _No_, she thought. Even if they had known the consequences keeping people here as workers when they didn't want to be was inhumane. It was slavery.

She didn't know what to make of these sudden confessions. While what he said seemed to be the truth, she couldn't help but be suspicious of him. He was a vampire, and so far her experiences with vampires hadn't been that great. "What if I promised not to tell anyone? Could I go home then?" she asked, somewhat jokingly after a moment of silence.

He remained serious. "Serena, I'm sorry."

She sighed. She didn't think he would have agreed anyways. "I'd like to say it's ok, but you know it's not."

He raised a hand gently to her cheek, tucking a golden lock behind her ear. "I know," he whispered. He leaned in slightly, but she turned her head away at the last moment. _Why would he even think I would want to kiss him? _She thought to herself. He's kidnapped me.

Pretending as if she hadn't just rejected him, he removed his hand from her face, and grinned down at her. "How about some food? Or a change of clothes?"

Serena felt herself genuinely smile for the first time in what felt like forever. "Both would be great."

"Well come on, while everyone's sleeping," he said, opening the door for her.

"While everyone's…?"

"It's about 11 am, and you're living in a house full of vampires…" Michael started.

"Oh." He laughed and followed her out the door, closing it tightly behind him.

* * *

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	6. The Tour

_If you guys have any suggestions for the story just let me know, I'm all ears. Complaints, praise, w/e_

_Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story._

* * *

The Vampire House…more like CASTLE!

Michael laughed at her gaping expression as he led her through the house. It was huge! It wasn't even a house! This place was a _castle_.

After washing away the dried blood covering her body, and changing into less revealing clothing, Michael offered to give her a tour of the place. The level where they currently were, where her bedroom was, was the fourth floor of the house. Apparently it was the highest level of the entire building. But there were also two more levels underneath the house as well as the three other remaining upper floors. They hadn't even gone through the first half of the floor and already Serena was staring around the place in shock.

Most of this floor contained bedrooms, but there was also a kitchen, a pool, a Rec room, and dozens of random sitting areas. Serena couldn't believe it. How could vampires have so much money? _They did have a lot of time to save_, she thought to herself. She snorted inwardly. _Vampires._

The coven Michael was a part of, **_Midairne_**, consisted of over 200 vampires, and they all had a room to themselves. But there were even more rooms for 'company' (aka demons, elves, fairies, and the like according to Michael) and the workers, who had their own accommodations on the 1st floor sectioned off from the rest of the castle.

It was strange having someone who had kidnapped her to be so forthcoming with information regarding the place she was currently being held hostage in. Even though Michael claimed she was a guest, she knew better. She was weary of him, and even though he seemed to be genuinely nice during this tour, something at the back of her mind told her not to forget who or what he was.

As they toured the 4th floor she found out that there were over 300 bedrooms, not including the other 60 for the workers, 8 pools, 300 bathrooms (which weren't even really bathrooms because vampires apparently never went to the washroom, but they were extremely vain and quite capable of casting a reflection…), 83 studies/offices for the most important members of the coven who helped govern their society, 131 living rooms, 2 theatres with stages, 6 game rooms, 2 dance clubs, 40 bars, a ballroom to fit over 2000 undead, a major dining room, a main kitchen, a mini kitchen (a regular house kitchen) on every above-ground floor, 23 different staircases, weapon rooms, training rooms, secret passageways, and all other sorts of rooms underground which she would apparently never get to see if Michael had his way.

"Well if I'm going to be living here I should be aware of all my surroundings," complained Serena. She had begun to feel strangely at ease with Michael, even after only a couple of hours of being with him. It seemed like they were old friends meeting after a long absence. She wouldn't say that she completely trusted him, far from it, he could probably drink her blood at any moment, but his charm and charisma made her feel less weary of him. And now that she was thinking about it she couldn't help but feel suspicious again. _What is going on?_ She thought to herself. Something was off. At first she had a feeling of liking him, a little more than she should, then it was like a light switch flicked and she was really uncomfortable around him...she needed to find a way out of here immediately.

"And you should, be aware of you surroundings, but the bottom levels will never be a part of your surroundings. They're not even a part of my surroundings!"

Serena sighed. "Well, you won't be around all the time. I'll just go see when you're not there," she said teasingly. _Why did I just do that?_ She thought to herself. _Am I…flirting?_

Michael stopped walking, forcing her to walk back a few paces to face him. "Serena, promise me you won't."

"Michael, I was just kid…"

"Serena, _please_ promise," he pleaded, looking at her with a sort of desperation.

"Yeah, sure…ok, I won't go down there if you're not with me."

Michael gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

They resumed walking, but the air around them was thick with awkwardness.

"Hey, how about those fresh clothes?" he asked lightly.

"I'm already wearing fresh clothes…"

"No, I mean, a shopping spree of sorts. I can't have any guest of mine walking around in…well…what you're currently wearing."

"Hey!" Serena said with a smile, knowing he was teasing her. The jogging pants and shirt given to her weren't that bad.

He held out his arm to her and she took it hesitantly, letting him lead her back down the hallway towards the floor's Rec room, completely forgetting about the rest of the house.

Veering off to the left, he stopped in front of the fifth door and looked around cautiously before opening it. "This is Beatrice's room," he whispered.

Like she was supposed to know who the hell that was. "Are we not supposed to be here?" she asked.

"Shh!" he hissed, closing the door quickly after she entered. "No we aren't, but she's not here. Off with her demon boyfriend somewhere, who is supposed to be returning to his realm in the next couple of days. She won't be back for a while so we mine as well make use of it."

_Returning to his Realm? _"Won't she be pissed that we're taking her clothes?" she asked instead, while Michael led her to the closet at the far side of the room. The room was adequately sized, but with only the necessary things in it. A bed, a night table, a dresser.

He opened the closet door and Serena gasped. This woman's…vampire's closet was bigger than her room! It was absolutely packed with clothes, shoes, bags, scarves, anything and everything that anyone would ever want to wear. There was even a love seat to sit on in the middle of all the hangers and shelves. It was almost like she turned the closet into her bedroom and the actual room into her closet…

"Nah, I don't think she'll notice that any of them are missing," he replied, walking into the closet and pulling some things from the hangers. "So, find some things you like and we'll take them back to your room before we get you something to eat. OK?"

Serena nodded, dumbfounded, still staring around the closet. "How can anyone have so much stuff?"

"Well, if you live for over a hundred years things start to build up," answered Michael, handing her a low cut red top. "I like red," he remarked at her curious look.

She laughed, but took the top anyways.

"Oh, this too," he said, handing her a see-through fishnet top.

She hit his chest lightly and smiled.

"What? I think it would look great, especially with nothing underneath," he said, winking.

"Whatever," she mumbled, trying to hide her smile. She mentally frowned…something was definitely going on. Why was she acting this way around him?

* * *

After looking through every inch of the closet, Serena and Michael left, each carrying armfuls of clothes, shoes, and other accessories. Michael had even decided to carry some by wearing them.

For a vampire he was certainly not what she expected. He was charming, funny, especially wearing a pink-feathered boa (she had no idea why they grabbed that…), attractive…was he just leading her into a false sense of security? Because every other vampire that she had met from this godforsaken place had brutally eaten someone right in front of her. But then again…that was just two vampires. Apparently there were more then 200 in this place. It was doubtful they were all bloodthirsty killers…right? Was this what he did for kicks? Kidnap young girls and play with his food? She was thinking too much about this.

Once dropping off the clothes into the lounge area in her room, accessed through those double doors, which she just found out about, they detoured back to the kitchen.

"So…where exactly are we?" she asked, as they walked through the maze-like hallways.

"Coordinates wise?" he asked.

"Coordinates wise?" she repeated laughing. "Yeah, sure, geographically where are we on the map?"

"I'd say about 20 miles north-east of Fort Rupert, Quebec," he answered nonchalantly.

"Are you kidding?" Serena asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Yeah…something wrong with that?"

"We're just…far…how the hell did I get all the way up here from Montreal?"

"Car."

"What? You had me knocked out for a 13 hour car ride?"

"Well, it took a little less then that but…yeah," he said, resuming pace.

Serena rushed to catch up with him after standing dumbfounded for a couple of seconds. "All that trouble just to keep me from saying anything to other people about vampires? They'd probably think I was crazy anyways."

Michael gave her a sidelong glance and kept walking, but didn't say anything.

He opened the door for her as they entered into the kitchen. It would have been pretty large in any other normal house, but considering the fact that she was currently in a castle, it was rather small compared to the rest of the house. The counters and cupboards were all black, the walls red, and the island in the center also a black shade. It was plain, nothing really exciting about it.

Serena took a seat at the island and watched as Michael went to a phone beside the sleek, black refrigerator. "Hey, yeah, kitchen 5, some burgers and fries. Thanks," he said before hanging up.

She laughed, "Why did you just order with a telephone?"

"Well, vampires don't generally eat regular food so we're not really stocked up in here," Michael answered, taking a seat beside her. "But I'll make sure there's food kept here at all times for you."

"Thanks, I guess…"

He smiled at her. "No problem."

Serena shifted slightly under his intense gaze, and looked away quickly, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"Serena, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you…" he said quietly, brushing his fingers on her chin, just enough to turn her face towards his.

"Yes," Serena asked breathlessly as he leaned in. She felt her heart race as he closed his eyes and leaned in even closer. She closed her own and let his hand run up into her hair while hers reached for his cheek.

The door suddenly burst open and they jumped away from each other as if electrocuted. What could only be a vampire strolled through the door, completely oblivious to them and muttering under his nonexistent breath. He was tall, maybe 6'3" (none of them seemed to be as tall as the one who had bit her) and very muscular. He was broad shouldered and much more muscular then Michael, but he also seemed to be older, a couple of years over 30. He had spiked chestnut hair, wore a black wife beater and tight leather pants.

"David!" Michael exclaimed loudly, forcing cheerfulness. "What are you doing up so early?"

He turned and looked at them, like he was just noticing them. "Never went to sleep," he replied, grinning as he made his way to the fridge. He pulled out a red packet and proceeded to rip it open with his teeth before chugging it down. When 1/3 was left he stopped, wiped his mouth, and then sat down across from them and pulled up the newspaper from the countertop. "Besides, I needed a pick me up."

"At this kitchen? Your room is the next floor down."

David looked at Michael over the paper with a look that clearly stated how stupid he thought Michael was. "You know all the good blood is on this floor, this is Drake's floor," he answered before pulling the newspaper back up. It snapped down as the new vampire raised a brow at Serena. He sniffed the air, "Nice aroma you're wearing Michael…what is it again?"

Michael's eyes shot daggers at the vampire before them.

"And is this the woman you are wearing it for? You're latest conquest Michael? A blond, wow, that's new for you."

"Excuse me?" snapped Serena, looking from Michael to David.

"Be careful around this one when he's wearing that cologne, darling. You might be tempted to do _anything _for him," said the older vampire, looking pointedly at Serena.

Michael stood up quickly. "She's a part of the coven now _David_, and will be treated with the respect she deserves."

David opened his mouth again, somewhat smirking, but the kitchen door opened once again and Liz stepped through holding a tray of hamburgers and fries. "Here ya are Mikey," she said, smiling, before putting the tray on the island counter. "You need anything else?"

Serena looked at Liz, thinking hard. Michael persuaded her out of her home to come here to _work_ for him? Yeah right. What had he said to them to make them leave their homes and families? Was it what he was doing with her? Did he make them like him?

"Serena?" asked Liz, waving a hand in front of her face lightly. "You ok?"

Serena shook her head to empty her mind, and smiled at Liz, "Yeah I'm fine."

"Thanks Liz," Michael smiled as well.

Liz nodded and walked out.

Serena turned a glare at Michael, but he didn't notice, he was glaring at David.

David looked at complete ease; his legs crossed, newspaper out, drinking his blood, acting completely oblivious to everything around him. "Look at that, two missing girls from Montreal added to the long list of missing persons," he commented, looking pointedly at Serena.

Michael's glare deepened, "She saw Shane drinking, David, I had no choice."

"Really? And what about that red head from Ottawa? She saw _you _drinking and I don't see her hanging around here," David argued, but he remained calm. He didn't raise his voice; he just spoke like he was talking about something mildly interesting.

"That…that was different."

"How so? She's also still living, if I remember correctly. She swore a blood oath to us and she remains free out there to live _her _life."

Serena's eyes widened at David's words. If what he said was true, why did Michael take her? Why was she here? Serena pushed herself out of her chair angrily and began shouting, "All this time you've been telling me that I had to be here, that it was either stay here or die! How could you, Michael? Just to make me like you so you could do whatever the hell it is that you do with all these girls! And then you were going to discard me to clean your castle? That's it!" Serena grabbed the food from the counter and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door on her way out.

"Thanks asshole," Michael muttered once she was gone.

"No problem; just like to watch you squirm Young Blood." David smiled. "She smells great by the way."

* * *

_I know this chapter was boring, and I'm sorry, I truly am, but you're just going to have to deal with it :P_

_Thoughts? Opinions?_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	7. Getting Intimate

_This next chapter does get a little hot and heavy so if anyone reading takes offense to it...don't read it! But the first part then the last 7ish spacings (I wanna call them paragraphs but they're really not...) are kind of relevant to the story...so READ AT OWN RISK. _

_But warning, if you can't handle the little bit of stuff I've included in here, you will not be able to handle the rest of the story..._

_If you guys have any suggestions for the story just let me know, I'm all ears. Complaints, praise, whatever._

_Thanks to the people who added this to their favorites and asked to be alerted about the story._

* * *

The Hallway

She was lost. She couldn't believe it…well, actually, she could. This place was ridiculously huge and she'd only been through the 4th floor twice. Her room had to be around somewhere…

Serena finally gave up trying to find something familiar; all the hallways looked the same. Instead she looked for one of those sitting areas that seemed to pop up in random places. Once she found one, she sat down and devoured the tray of burgers and fries she had been carrying around with her. It felt like she hadn't eaten in days. _Well, I guess I haven't…_she thought to herself.

Having finished most of the tray, she leaned back and closed her eyes. What was she doing here? Why did Michael really bring her here? Why did he bring those others girls here? _It's obvious, isn't it? _Whispered a part of her mind. _He used and abused them, now he gets them to clean this godforsaken place. _No, another part of her mind spoke. He seemed to genuinely like her, defended her from David, and saved her from that other vampire. _That other vampire_, she thought, rubbing her neck lightly. Although her wounds seemed to be fully healed, she couldn't help but remember the prick of his teeth in her skin. The way he smirked at her…_No, I don't ever want to think about that fucking vampire again. _Michael, on the other hand, was now at the forefront of her mind. Maybe he did actually like those girls, but things just sort of fell apart…and they had to pay the consequences by staying here. _They aren't exactly living the life of luxury are they? _Said that other part of her mind.

She had to talk to one of them and find out what they had to say about everything. Liz seemed to be the most likely candidate to share personal information, but she was also the most accepting of her fate here. Alyssa looked like she would do about anything for Michael, the way she devoured him with her eyes, and Mel seemed to want to rip his non-beating heart from his chest with her bare hands. So, overall, Liz seemed like the best choice to help relieve her troubled thoughts about Michael…

Serena rubbed her temples and tried to clear her thoughts. All she should dwell on right now was finding a way to leave and get back to her old life. She sighed and opened her eyes. She should really find her room…

She stood soundlessly, and stretched, feeling the pull of her notched muscles loosen slightly. Sighing once more she picked up the tray and made her way down the hallway. Turning around a corner to the left, she felt her heart stop. She saw him. _Shane_.

He hadn't noticed her, but then again his back was to her, walking away from her in the opposite direction. She looked around to make sure he was alone and held the tray out like a weapon. Trying to maintain her silent steps, she hurried forward to catch up with him. He was going to pay for killing Lana and bringing this whole thing down on her. He was the reason she was here. He was the reason she was now alone in this place, without her one friend.

She was only a step away now, with one swing she could…

WHACK! She hit him on the back of the head and he slammed into the wall. Discarding the tray, she jumped on his back and hit his head once again on the wall. With unbelievable strength she felt her hand grip his head and slam his head over and over again into the wall, leaving dents where it collided. He flailed underneath her, reaching around to grab her, but she didn't let go of him. Adrenaline was pumping through her system, giving her an unimaginable amount of strength. It was the only reason why she could have out powered him…wasn't it? Didn't vampires have superhuman strength?

Before she knew it, Serena once again felt the rise of butterflies in her chest and felt the mystical energy reach upwards through her skin from her heart. It was surreal how she seemed to detach from herself and watch what was happening before her.

It was like being in someone else's body, looking through their eyes. She could feel herself knocking Shane's head into the wall, but wasn't aware of how she was doing it. It was like there was another person inside her who was helping her in this fight. Someone who wanted to hurt him for all that she had been put through.

When the energy seemed about to break the barrier of her skin and reach out towards him, she felt strong arms grip her midsection and pull her off Shane. The energy immediately dissipated and she felt those hands encircle her waist, loose but firm.

Shane glared through a veil of black blood dripping from his nose and a cut on his forehead. He raised his arm to strike her, but the arms pulled her out of his reach. "I suggest you stay away from this hellcat, Shane," said the man directly behind her.

"What the hell Brett! You're just going to defend her? She attacked me!"

"I suggest you keep going, Shane," this unknown vampire said with a mocking edge.

Shane looked from the vampire holding her then back to Serena. A war seemed to rage in his head, like he was holding back from doing something he really wanted to do. She didn't know why. If she were him, she would have eaten her already.

Finally, he wiped the blood off his face with the sleeve of his shirt and stalked off, looking back occasionally to give her a murderous glare.

Serena's tense body seemed to relax as she watched him walk away. She almost breathed a sigh of relief before she realized there was another vampire she had to deal with, _an unknown vampire_.

She felt the arms move from around her waist to her shoulders, gently turning her so she could face the new vampire before her.

He wasn't extremely tall, one of the shortest vampires she'd seen so far, at 5'11", which wasn't even that short! But in comparison to the others it was.

He looked at her with dark, black-rimmed eyes through a curtain of black and blond hair swept to the side of his face. There was amusement and intrigue on his face as he looked at her, and she wondered why his eyes weren't the glowing red like the first vampire. But Michael and David didn't have glowing eyes either and neither did Shane, now that she thought about it. She also noticed that he had two lip piercings and an eyebrow ring. "I don't think I've ever seen a mortal out power a vampire before," he mused, moving his hands back down to her hips.

She glared at him, and pushed his hands away.

"I'm Brett," he said with a grin, not taking offense to her obvious discomfort.

She stepped back and kept glaring, "I make a point not to introduce myself to people that might kill me."

He laughed and stepped closer. "And why would I want to kill you, I don't even know you."

She stepped back and felt the wall abruptly against her back. She made to sidestep around him, but he followed her movement. Although he wasn't touching her, she could feel the coldness radiating off his body as his face leaned down slightly towards hers. "But if you wanted to get to know me, my room's on the 2nd floor to the left of the 1st set of stairs," he whispered, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

"Serena!" shouted Michael from somewhere down the hall. She took the opportunity to step away from Brett while turning to see Michael practically running down the hallway.

"Mikey," said Brett, much the same as how Michael spoke to David earlier, like he wished the other would just disappear. But Brett was much better at faking cheeriness along with it. His eyes never left Serena's as he continued speaking to Michael, "I'm just welcoming the new guest." He winked at Serena.

"Hands off Brett," snapped Michael, now right beside them.

"Haven't heard any complaints yet."

"Consider me complaining," Serena spoke up, moving further from the two vampires.

Brett smirked and stepped back from the little circle they had formed. Michael immediately moved to grab Serena's arm, but she pulled away from his grasp. He moved again, and this time gripped her elbow tightly before pulling her down the hall.

"Think about it Serena," Brett called to her, looking at her through his hair.

Michael pulled her onward down the halls, turning and stopping in front of her bedroom door. He opened it and practically threw her inside, before looking down both sides of the hallway and entering the room with her. He closed the door firmly behind him and stared her down.

Serena felt herself sneer as she looked up at him.

"You just love attracting trouble, don't you?" he snapped.

"Better than making it."

He sighed, his anger ebbing slightly. "Until you're introduced as a member of the coven they think you're just fresh blood to taste."

"And what about all those people that have to work here. Any vampire can just grab them and feed off them?" she shouted.

He frowned. "It depends on who owns…" he started before he cut himself off.

Her eyes went wide. "It depends on who owns them," she finished.

"Yes," he whispered, looking down, almost ashamed.

"And who owns me right now? You? Like you own Liz, Mel, and Alyssa?" she shook her head in disgust and turned away from him.

"Serena, you're different. I wish I could explain this to you so that you would understand but I…I can't. I saw you, and…I wanted you." He said, moving slowly towards her with each word, playing with a ring on his finger. He stood in front of her now, but she didn't look at him. Instead she stared at the purple ring on his finger. It seemed to glow the more he played with it…

She refused to look at him as he continued, "I felt something so strong in me that if I had any breath I wouldn't have breathed. Something _pulled_ me towards you, and I knew in that moment that I needed you. You had to be with me. And right now all I want is to be honest, so that I can be with you."

Serena had been fighting to keep from looking at him as he spoke, but with those last words, she glanced up. She saw pain, hope, guilt, and confusion in his eyes. It was like looking at a new man. She knew what he was, what he was currently doing, what he no doubt planned on doing, but there was a voice in her head telling her that it didn't matter. Nothing mattered other then the fact that she loved him, _wanted _him. No matter what he had done to get those other girls here it didn't matter because she knew that he would do anything for her, and just her. _Wait, what?!_ She thought. What the hell was she thinking, he had _kidnapped_ her!

But her eyes traveled back to the ring on his finger. It was so beautiful, enchanting even.

Michael smirked, knowing the ring was working. She would be his whether she liked it or not.

With a last spin of the ring on his index finger, Serena reached up suddenly and wrapped her arms around his neck, entwining them in his hair before angling her mouth over his. She had taken him by surprise, kissing him so gently, barely even brushing her lips against his. But it didn't take him long to become an active participant in this kiss, taking her in his arms and turning her so that her back was to the wall. His fingers gripped her waist tightly as he moaned in her mouth, pushing his tongue past her lips.

If she could have gasped, she would have, so completely overcome by his passion as she was. There was a part of her that wondered why the hell she was doing this, but that part was quickly silenced when his tongue entered her mouth and they began a battle for dominance in each other's mouths. Her hand snaked down his toned back to rest at the hem of his shirt. Sensing her intention, he pulled away from just long enough for her to take his shirt off before kissing her eagerly once more.

She admired his body with her hands, running them up and down his toned stomach and lean arms. He was by far the most gorgeous person she had ever seen. It was as if he were a God, sculpted to perfection. There wasn't a flaw on his body, no scarring or tattoos. He was so unbelievably perfect in every way that she just couldn't resist him any longer. She began kissing him with a renewed fervor, and held him closer to her.

But no matter how close she pulled him to her, it didn't seem close enough. Her moans grew desperate as she felt herself growing hot. She brought up one of her legs around his waist in hopes of encouraging him that this is what she wanted here and now, then pulled away slightly from their kiss in surprise. He had lifted her completely off the ground. Now having wrapped both legs around his hips in an effort to balance herself, she felt his hand trail up her thigh to her hip before immersing himself into their kiss once again.

Biting down on her lip gently, he maneuvered them towards the bed, slowly lowering her so as not to lose the contact between their heated mouths. Reaching up across her stomach, Serena gasped when his hand brushed against her breast before cupping it fully. Not hesitating for an instant, he used this distraction to pull the shirt up and over her head, exposing her black bra.

His mouth descended to her throat, and she arched at the touch of his tongue to her skin. Licking his way down her neck, he nipped her collarbone before descending even lower. As both her hands gripped his hair in encouragement of his administrations, she felt his cold hand reach around her back to unhook the clasp of her bra. He threw it carelessly across the room when it came off and kissed her now exposed breast. When his warm orifice enclosed around a hardened nipple, she arched into him, savoring the feeling of the moment.

He slowly began leaving butterfly kisses across her skin as he moved up to her mouth once more. He looked at her then, and couldn't suppress the emotion that flickered in his eyes.

He had stretched the truth about seeing her that first time. In the beginning, he just wanted to fuck her and fuck her hard, and again every night afterwards. He had been following her for quite some time, watching her, wanting her. Her being at the party had completely blindsided him. The only reason he was there was because of Shane. But now, after spending time with her, even if it was only a day, he felt the attraction he had described earlier to her. He felt like something was pulling him towards her, like he really did need her. If only she had felt that way about him. But the nifty little ring he had helped a long way in making her feel that way about him.

With that thought he lowered his mouth slowly, and placed a gentle kiss on her swollen lips. She opened her eyes and stared at him somewhat confused, but completely and utterly content. She smiled then, her whole face lighting up with the action. She was so beautiful. And now she was his, only his. They were together now, and, if he had his way, for eternity.

His hands came up from across her body to rest on her cheeks, cupping them softly while rubbing her high cheekbones with his thumbs. His eyes told her everything before he kissed her again, letting loose more of the passion within his soul.

BANG! The door suddenly burst open, "Michael, the…" then a gasp. Serena and Michael's heads snapped towards the intruder and saw Alyssa standing with her mouth open in the doorway, her eyes wide in shock.

Serena immediately tried to cover herself, but Michael moved to conceal her quite nicely, pressing his back into her as he turned to look at Alyssa. "Yes?" he snapped.

Alyssa didn't say anything, still in a state of shock at seeing them like this. Serena saw the hurt and anger in her eyes before it vanished just as quickly as it had came. Alyssa shook her head and replied, "The lycans have attacked the _Akakios _on the Russian border."

Michael swore and turned to look at Serena, pulling the blanket from the bed to cover her. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Serena leaned in to kiss him again, and felt his frustration at having to leave through the contact of their lips. He broke away quickly, telling Alyssa that she was to watch Serena's room before he left.

Alyssa looked at her when he was gone, and Serena was caught off guard by the burning hatred that radiated from the girl's eyes. Alyssa looked ready to kill. "Milady," the girl said coldly while bowing her head and curtseying mockingly. Alyssa left the room then, slamming the door behind her.

_Oh shit, _Serena thought, pulling herself more under the covers.

* * *

_Reviews are always fun even if you're just bashing me! Feedback on what ya like and don't like is also good. :)_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	8. It Started with a Dream

_And for all of you actually reading the story (apparently there's a lot...according to the thingymabob on the 'reader traffic') PLEASE REVIEW! I would really like to hear your opinion!_

* * *

Her New Room

_Michael was running at her, pale and frantic, while reaching out towards her. He collapsed just before their hands touched. She fell down to her knees beside him, worried about whatever it was that had him in such a state. Something was wrong, but she didn't understand what it could possibly be in her dreamlike haze. She looked down and saw a deep, gaping wound in his gut. She searched his eyes fearfully, "Why isn't it healing?" she felt herself ask worriedly. _

_He gasped, clutching his side before wincing, "They're here. Run Serena, please."_

_"No Michael, not without you," she declared, bending over to help him up. "Stay with me Michael!" she shouted at him as his eyes drifted closed. _What they hell did they do to him_? Putting his arm around her shoulders, she supported his weight as she began to run. _

_Then a horrific growl sounded behind her head and she felt a pang of dread in her stomach as she turned. Standing in front her was a towering beast too hostile for words. It stood 9 ½ feet tall with a thick coat of silver fur covering its entire body. Its ferocious snout opened to bare long, pointed, canine teeth, while it salivated looking down at the two of them. _

_Serena stared at it in horror, unable to move her feet to get away from the creature. This must be what Michael meant by_ them_. _

_It raised a menacing paw and began to swing at them when Serena felt a mystical energy race through her. It happened so fast that she wasn't sure that this was the power she had been experiencing in reality. She started to glow with a blinding light then felt the energy unleash in a circle around her and Michael. Her dreamlike self seemed to be controlling the force so that it only touched the hideous creature and not Michael or herself. She wondered briefly how she was doing that, but soon forgot about it. It was a dream after all. _

_The ring of white-fired light tore through the werewolf, throwing it backwards to land in an unmoving pile on the ground. Serena breathed heavily from the exertion, and pulled Michael more onto her shoulders. _Why isn't he healing? _She thought worriedly. _

_Her head snapped up when she heard more footsteps coming towards her and noticed Shane. Serena felt an immediate hate, but her dreamlike self seemed relieved. "Help me get him up," She felt herself say._

_Shane picked up his friend like a sack of potatoes and began to run towards the trees just across from the yard they were standing in. Serena wanted to look around, suddenly wondering where she was. Where were they outside? Outside the castle? Or away from it? But her dream self was running to catch up with them, not caring where they were, or maybe she already knew. _

_Unexpectedly she was painfully jerked back by something and caught by a pair of arms before she fell. The momentary surprise was banished as she felt an unimaginable pain. The sharp edge of a knife was plunged quickly into her lower spine, cutting through the precious bone. She let out an earsplitting scream before she heard a familiar voice in her ear._

"_So much for prophecy," he whispered, extracting the cold metal and leaving her to fall to the ground. _

Serena sat upright as she awoke in a cold sweat, breathing deeply. She quickly removed the covers and moved to get up when she saw a figure. She let out a scream and scrambled backwards from him.

Chace, however, anticipated her reaction and gripped her quickly, pinning her arms and legs with his, pushing her back down onto the bed. He leaned into her neck, licking slightly, and inhaled. "Delicious," he breathed. She winced and began to struggle. _He was a vampire too? Geez, what the fuck!_

"Stop struggling precious, I want to remember this smell."

She pulled one arm free and slapped him soundly.

He sneered before re-gripping both her hands in one of his and slapped her back.

She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes as she glared up at him, her face stinging from the impact.

"Play nice Serena. Wouldn't want you to get hurt," he hissed sarcastically before leaning in for another long inhale. He sighed with pleasure. "I wish that party had turned out differently. But hey, you made a choice, and now I've made mine."

Serena groaned. "You really don't know how to take rejection do you?" she asked, with a sense of déjà vu from the man in the alley only a couple of nights previous. Holy shit that felt so long ago!

He smirked at her. "I always get what I want," he replied, nipping her neck with a little more force than the last time he had done that. "Has no one noticed yet, this angelic smell about you? How have you remained intact in a house full of vampires?"

Serena raised her knee to strike between his legs, but he maneuvered away while still holding her tightly. He slapped her again, "None of that Serena, I'm not about to let you ruin everything I've worked for by letting you escape now," he hissed, bearing his fangs.

_What the hell,_ she thought, feeling the tips of his teeth against her neck, sending shockwaves through her body. She wasn't going to be bitten again. She could feel herself panicking and made a last attempt to escape his clutches. Raising her knee again, this time connecting, she yanked her arms free from his hold at the same moment that he doubled over in pain. She shoved the heel of her palm into his nose and bolted from the bed. Serena raced from the room before he could regain his composure.

She ran down the hallway, shouting at the top of her lungs for help, trying to make her way as fast as possible towards the kitchen. His heavy steps were not far behind her as she burst through the door of the kitchen and grabbed the phone from the wall. "Liz! Michael! Help! Chace is…" suddenly she was pulled back by her hair and thrown across the room to hit the nearest wall.

Serena flailed around in an attempt to stand, but her vision blurred and she felt her muscles turning to lead.

A cold hand clutched her neck in her struggles to stand and lifted her into the air. She clawed at his hands and swung her feet, but it was no use. He just held more tightly, blocking her air supply, making her lose the energy to fight.

Her vision was darkening slowly as she looked down as Chace's contorted face. She wasn't going to let him kill her. She wasn't going to die.

* * *

Chace almost recoiled when he saw her eyes change from their natural green to a golden color. He held her neck tighter, forcing her further up the wall, hoping that the lack of air was doing that to her and not something else…

He was going to kill her, he absolutely had to. She was the one from the prophecy, the one that would stand in the way of his plans to overtake the vampires. If he didn't kill her now, when would he ever get the opportunity again? She would jeopardize everything! If he failed in his mission he would have to sacrifice his life, whether to the vampires for his duplicity or those he worked for, who would have gotten rid of him long ago if he wasn't their number one double agent within the coven's ranks. Either way, one of them would take his soul and send him to the Abyss if this girl lived.

Michael was planning to turn her, he was sure of it; with the way the vampire was treating her compared to the others. David had told everyone all about it already. And when Michael did turn her, it would give Serena the strength and skill to destroy all his carefully laid out plans. No, he didn't want her living much longer at all.

The anger that had weld up inside him soon turned to fear as he watched in awe as she began to glow with a blinding white light. He let her go and stepped back, afraid for his safety. She remained still, in the air against the wall with her eyes closed and her mouth open. _What the hell was she? There was no mention of this in the prophecy! _

The light that had been building up around her suddenly pushed its way towards him and he fell back, completely knocked out.

* * *

Serena fell to the floor once the energy left her body, gasping in the air around her. It filled her lungs painfully, as if stabbing her from the inside out. She closed her eyes against it. _Why did Chace attack her? What did he mean 'ruin everything he'd worked for'? Was he dead? What prophecy?_

Her eyes snapped open when she felt another presence enter the room. She felt the energy rise in her chest out of her fear, but it disappeared entirely when she saw who it was. It was the vampire that had bitten her yesterday. She tried calling on the energy again, but to her dismay nothing happened. Now panicking, she tried to sit up as he walked towards her, but could only lift herself into a sitting position. He approached her slowly, as if trying to sooth a ferocious animal. _Did he see what happened?_

He knelt down quietly in front of her, and she noticed the softness in his blue eyes, unlike the burning red glow she had seen before.

She willed herself to get up but fell back down at the effort. He raised his hand to her cheek and she flinched away, thinking he was going to hit her. She didn't move fast enough and his fingers brushed softly against her cheek. She held her breath, staring at him in anticipated fear. _What was he doing?_

His hand dropped and she let out the air in her lungs, only to hold her breath as his face moved suddenly closer to hers. He stared at her intensely, in deep concentration, looking past her scared eyes to something beyond, something hidden deep within her soul. His lips suddenly brushed hers, devoid of any of the roughness he had earlier when she was in his room. He was gentle, just giving her a soft peck before pulling away from her unexpectedly. He looked up, as if having heard something, and left from the room in a few quick strides.

Not a moment later Michael entered with Liz and two other people…or vampires. She couldn't tell, but upon seeing Michael feelings of love and warmth overflowed her. "Serena!" he shouted, seeing her on the floor. The ring on his index finger flashed purple before he rushed towards her, picking her up in his arms. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed, taking in her bruised appearance.

"It was Chace," she said hoarsely, glancing to the unconscious form on the floor. Without a word the two unknown people bent down and picked up Chace's limp form before carrying him from the room. "He was going to kill me. He said I was ruining something he was working for…?" she said, burying her face in his shoulders.

He held her tightly, and whispered, "Shh, its alright. I'm here."

Serena didn't cry, however, she was too busy wondering what the hell the other vampire was doing there in the kitchen. Her face didn't leave his shoulder though, as he carried her from the kitchen bridal style. Liz followed quietly, still waiting for her orders.

She felt him place her gently on the bed in her room and finally looked up. Michael was staring down at her in worry with both hands on either side of her on the bed. Her thoughts suddenly floated to their previous encounter. She shook her head and smiled weakly.

He sat down beside her, taking her hand in his, "Can you tell me what happened?"

She did in a huge rush, telling him everything except for her dream, her powers and seeing the other vampire. She didn't know why but for some reason she thought it would be best to keep those details to herself, even if she did love him with all her heart.

"So the frying pan actually knocked him out?" Michael asked incredulously when she was finished.

"Yeah," she lied smoothly, "but I had to hit him a lot."

Michael smiled weakly, then stood and began to pace. He stopped and turned to Liz after a few moments. "Drake must be told."

Liz nodded and left quickly, leaving them alone. Michael resumed his pacing. "That makes no sense!" At her questioning look he elaborated, "Chace! What were you going to ruin that Chace was working for?"

Serena was thinking the same thing. If only there was a way to know for sure…

She flinched when Michael threw a vase against the wall and a memory suddenly flashed before her eyes of her father and mother in the living room that night four years ago. She looked up at him in horror as his eyes started to turn a glowing red. He didn't look back at her, choosing instead to glare at the floor. He took in deep non-existent breaths, trying to get his anger under control. His eyes soon become their usual color, his breathing evened, and he sighed, "I'm sorry." He still didn't look at her.

She said nothing in return, just stared. _Did all vampires' eyes turn red when they were angry?_ The door opened and Serena tore her gaze away from Michael to see who it was. Mel entered looking distraught. "The elders wish to speak with you," she whispered.

A horrible growling noise erupted from him as he marched towards the door, "Don't let her leave your sight," he demanded of Mel, vaguely remembering saying the same thing to Alyssa earlier. He slammed the door hard behind him. He'd deal with Alyssa later.

Mel looked at Serena intently before taking a seat on the bed. "There's something you should know, Serena."

Serena inhaled deeply before sitting beside her. "What is it?"

* * *

_So, what are people thinking of the story? Feedback is really great no matter what you say. _

_All those people who put this story on their alert list, you know who you are! :P, I'd love to know your thoughts about what's going on, as well as those who review constantly and make me feel all happy inside. _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	9. Information

_For all of you actually reading the story (apparently there's a lot...according to the thingymabob on the 'reader traffic') PLEASE REVIEW! I would really like to hear your opinion!_

* * *

In Serena's New Room

Mel took a deep breath and, "Um… why don't we go outside?"

Serena felt herself physically pull back from Mel; she was so taken aback, "What?"

"Outside, you know, with sunlight."

Serena grinned, a true and genuine smile. "That would be great!"

Mel gave a half smile and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from Serena's night table. At Serena's questioning look she replied, "Just leaving Michael a note so he doesn't worry."

Serena nodded and practically skipped out the door behind Mel. "I haven't been outside for days! Is there still snow?"

Mel nodded her head, "It's slightly warmer though, but we'll have to head to the greenhouse, seeing as there aren't any jackets around here for servant…I mean, personal use."

She frowned in response, "You don't have jackets?"

"We're not exactly allowed to go outside, and vampires don't really need them…"

"That's horrible; these vampires just keep you inside all day?"

"Yup…well in the daytime. At night we only go outside if they tell us to."

Serena could barely comprehend what Mel was saying. "Will you get in trouble?"

"I'm willing to risk it."

How could people be treated like this? What was with these vampires? What was inside them that made them not care about the rights of another being? Were they actually soulless? She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice that they had gone down the flight of stairs by the kitchen on her floor and were now passing the 2nd level.

"This is the workers' stairs, to get from level to level. The vamps don't usually come here unless…" Mel didn't continue and just kept walking.

"Unless what Mel?"

The other girl sighed, "Unless they're looking for something to eat."

Serena snorted very un-lady like in disgust. "Why do they think they can do this?"

"Because it's how it is." Mel snapped. She sighed and regained her composure. "They've made it that way; we somehow agreed to it…I can answer all your questions once we get into the greenhouse."

Serena nodded and they made the rest of the way down in silence.

At the bottom of the stairs, Mel led her to a door to the right leading to the greenhouse. The door opened slowly and they stepped through. Serena's breath caught as she felt the warm rays touch her skin. She closed her eyes and walked into the middle of the greenhouse. The sun shone throughout the room, entering from the windowed walls and roof. It felt so good to be there standing in the sun. In the sun's light she felt safe, as if this whole situation had never even happened, that she was safe at home reading a book, sitting on the couch…then she opened her eyes.

She was here, in this place where vampires ruled and humans were slaves. How could something like this happen to her? How did this happen to all these people? Did no one notice in the human world? She looked to Mel and saw that the other girl had shied away from the burning sun, staying more to the shadows.

"Mel, what's wrong?"

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's been a while since I've been anywhere near the Sun." she explained. "It hurts a little." She reached out to touch a plant and Serena almost screamed when it leaned into the touch. "Exotic plants. Came from Ecuador I believe."

Serena stared in awe at the plant. "Are they all like that?" she asked, looking at the exotic plants of every shape, size, and color scattered throughout the room, some reaching the top of the roof.

Mel laughed, "No, just a select few. Some are brought in, others are experimented with for science. They, meaning the vamps, want to know all the different types of DNA and how to rearrange them. You'll notice a lot of different things when you're here Serena."

"Like what?"

"That people aren't who you think they are. That all the things you thought only existed in the movies are actually real," she answered. "And that you'll soon not be able to be in the sunlight." She whispered this last part.

"Mel, how long have you been here?" Serena asked gently.

"Too long."

"How long?" Serena asked gently.

"I came here when I was just 15," Mel nodded, pacing slightly in the shadows of the greenhouse. "I met him in a coffee shop. It was where I worked in Fort Rupert, the closest place to here. He ordered his coffee, then asked me when I was finished work. Of course I told him, how could you not? He was gorgeous, charismatic, a little older, but I felt I was mature for my age. He met me afterwards and we got talking. He said he wanted to see me again. I agreed and we dated for about 3 weeks after that. Even then, I already knew I loved him. I would have done anything for him."

Serena stared at her, not saying anything, waiting for her to continue. _She can't even bring herself to say his name, _she thought to herself. _Michael._

"One night when I went to his apartment, I saw him drinking out of a red package. I freaked and it was then that he told me he was a vampire, that he was a part of a society of vampires that didn't drink the blood of humans." She laughed coldly at this, "And I believed him.

"When he asked me to go back there with him, here, _Midairne,_ I was hesitant, but in the end I agreed. I loved him so much he could have asked me to blow up the moon and I would have done it. I would have done anything to be with him.

"But he also told me that if I went with him that I would never be able to see my family again, or even leave the place we were going to. Unless I was with him or someone else that he trusted I would be stuck there. But I didn't care. Love, or what I thought was love, blinded me.

"He was going to introduce me into the society of vampires as a member of the coven, the first mortal ever.

"Regrettably, I agreed. My family didn't matter much to me, my mother a drunk, my father long gone. My sister had left for the US a couple of years earlier, and never stayed in touch. Mi…Michael was going to be my family. His _coven_ was going to be my new family.

"So I went with him and everything was great for a while. I lived a life of luxury, but I never saw anyone except for Michael, David, and Shane. Michael was usually always with me, and if not, I was either alone in our room or with one of the other two. I never met anyone else from the coven during that time.

"As time went by I still wasn't ever introduced to his family. Every time I asked he would just say it wasn't the right time, or he had to go away, or something else would come up. He started acting strange soon after. He began to ignore me, told me that I had to have my own room, for my own personal space, and told me that it was time I started to do something useful for the coven." Mel's voice took on a bitter, vengeful tone that made Serena's skin crawl. "That's when I ended up in the worker's quarters, and I met Liz, who had come here before me and went through the same thing with him as I did.

"Soon after he brought Alyssa home, and you can imagine my dismay. It was then that I realized that he wasn't the charming, funny person I had gotten to know. He was a _vampire, _just looking for something to occupy his time with I guess." Mel didn't say anything for a while and stared off into space. "He didn't _love _me, like he said he did, Serena. And I didn't love him like I thought he did. It's a spell! A fucking spell he puts us under! Have you ever noticed that stupid purple ring he wears? Every time he's around you he's playing with it. These feelings you are feeling, they aren't real!"

"You're lying," Serena whispered. How could Michael, charming, funny Michael, do something like that? No. What she felt was real. It had to be real…wasn't it? She closed her eyes fiercely and thought of his face, but it wasn't Michael's that appeared in her mind…it was the _other_ one. The vampire that had bitten her.

"No, Serena, you know I'm not lying! Think about how angry you were when Liz told you that you had to stay here. How can you love someone that just kidnapped you! That helped kill your best friend!"

Serena opened her eyes and looked at Mel, young, beautiful Mel, with her pleading hazel eyes. She was trapped here, forced to work for someone who tricked her into loving him. Someone she had thought she could trust… "You're right," Serena whispered. The foggy mist that had been unknowingly surrounding her consciousness suddenly lifted and she could think clearly for the first time since Michael gave her the tour of the fourth floor. She didn't love Michael. She didn't trust him or care for him in any way at all! It was a fucking _spell_!

Mel gave her a weak smile. "I'm so sorry, but its better this way," she said, reaching out to grip Serena's hand.

Serena squeezed the hand that clasped hers in comfort.

Then the brunette let out a small laugh, "If I didn't get the basement before I will most certainly this time."

"The basement?" Serena asked.

"The basement. You don't know anything about them do you? These vampires?"

"No," Serena whispered, looking away from her.

"There are all types of vampires, Serena, just like humans. Different cultures, different nationalities, different species, good and bad. But all vampires suffer from a condition, a disease you could say, that makes them all demons.

"Somehow a human manages to get bitten by a vampire. When a vampire bites you there is something in the fangs, like a type of sedative coating them that almost completely paralyzes a person. Once a person is in this state, hanging in the balance between life and death, they manage to drink the blood of a vampire. Whether this is because the vampire feeding from them gives them their blood, or they could have drank vampire blood beforehand, they themselves turn.

"Drinking a vampire's blood is like taking a part of them inside you, because, unlike human blood, a vampire's blood isn't meant to sustain life, it _is_ life. You are physically drinking _their_ life, and as your human body dies this 'virus' spreads throughout the body keeping it animated. This _virus_ controls you, but it doesn't take over completely. That's why vampires like Michael and David are able to maintain parts of their human personalities, but when you aren't supplying the virus with what it needs to survive it will _become _you. It's what urges vampires to drink blood. Some vampires, like David, just keep drinking so their vampire selves never control them, but not all are like David. Most just kill for their blood supplement; David drinks the packets from the hospital. I don't think he's had fresh human blood for over a decade now…Anyways, some vampires, like Michael, try to avoid drinking for as long as possible, I don't know why. The virus eventually takes over their minds and forces them to kill and act completely out of character."

"Is that why their eyes turn red?" Serena asked quietly.

"Yes. And depending on the type of vampire that a human has drank from, that is the type of vampire they in turn become. Almost this entire coven is just the standard run of the mill vampire. They are able to heal quickly, unable to walk in sunlight, they're extremely fast, extremely strong, and only die through decapitation, fire, or a stab through the heart."

At Serena's look she said, "Yeah, basically Google that shit and it's all there.

"But there are vampires that exist that are only living by the virus. These vampires have lost all sense of their human selves; they have no purpose other than to kill. They are purely instinctual animals. Even though they're not that smart, their senses are more enhanced then regular vampires. They can hear the beating of a heart, and the smell of terror from over 100 miles away. Although they can't look at anything brighter than a dull flashlight without experiencing agonizing pain, their ability to see in the dark is incredible. They are the greatest killing machines, but completely dangerous to everyone around them.

"There are those types of vampires here, in the basement. The elder council had them locked up there, to kill each other rather than anyone else in this house. That type of vampire can't be trusted. They're more work then they're worth and would probably kill you before you could so much as take a breath. The council underwent a 'moral' makeover and started trying to do the right thing. If you ask me they should have started with the workers and started letting them go!"

Both girls fell silent at this comment, not knowing what else to say.

"And you would be put down there with them?" Serena whispered in horror after a moment. "In the basement?"

Mel laughed a chilling laugh, making Serena shiver uncontrollably. "Yes, I could be put down there. And before, when Michael brought Alyssa home, I was almost put down there.

"See, when Michael 'left' me, I wasn't exactly friendly. I tried to kill him by poisoning all of the bag blood sources. I had hoped to kill every single vampire in this place with that trick, but unfortunately I didn't succeed. I tried to kill him on numerous more occasions, but, obviously, again I didn't succeed. I didn't do what I was told, I cut off his fingers, his leg, an arm, some hair, a couple of noses, and his family jewels, but just once. Unfortunately they all grew back, and if Liz hadn't stepped in I would surely be in a thousand pieces all over that basement.

"Liz is almost like the head servant around here. She manages everything that these vampires do. She controls everything, like the mother hen of everyone. She sort of took me in when Michael abandoned me. Since she does so much around here, her sticking up for me made people leave me alone, sort of. Most of them just ignore me now. And because she belongs to Michael, he's managed to climb up the social chain in this place and become one of the next vampires to be elected into the council. If he hadn't brought her here, Michael would still be a regular vampire. He owes a lot to her, so do a lot of creatures in this place."

At Serena's strange look, Mel sighed. "It's going to take you a while to understand everything that goes on around here, Serena. Right now I don't have time to tell you about all the politics that go on around here, or the soirees, or the demons, or the rogue angel that keeps trying to kill vampires or the war with the lycans, or the…"

"The vampires are at war with the lycans?" Serena asked in disbelief. "How stereotypical."

"Yes! But I don't have time to explain. The only reason I brought you down here was to tell you to watch out for Michael! I don't know how I got so sidetracked…" she muttered to herself, Serena noticed that she hit her own arm before looking back at Serena again. "He may seem like a fun, loving guy, but I would just be careful. Maybe he does actually like you and will bring you into the coven, but from my experience, don't count on it."

Serena sat in silence for a couple of moments, letting all of the information that she had been told sink into her. There was just so much to know, to learn, and apparently there was even more that she didn't know. _A war with lycans? Werewolves? _She thought to herself. _Like what she saw in her dream?_

"I love…_loved _him, Serena. I hope you don't think any less of me because I agreed to come here when I was only 15," Mel spoke hurriedly.

"No, of course not Mel. Who knows, maybe I would have done the same thing."

"But as soon as I realized that he had tricked me and thrown me away like a piece of trash I did try to escape. I tried to run, but they always found me. I barely made it past the gates most times. No matter how much you want to leave, there is _no_ way."

"Do you still want to leave?"

"Every day."

"Melissa!" shouted an angry voice from the shadows of the doorway. Michael stood there, his eyes glowing red, his hands clenched into fists. Serena could barely make out his form from where he stood in the darkness.

"Yes, Michael?" Mel asked sweetly, masking her distaste.

"What the hell are you doing in here with Serena?" Michael snapped. If he had actually been able to go in sunlight, Serena had no doubt that Mel would be in a lot of pain right about now. Mel seemed to notice this too, and didn't move.

"I thought she needed to be outside for a change. Depriving her of the one thing mortals find most welcoming is fairly cruel, wouldn't you agree?"

Michael's eyes seemed to dim with Mel's words, and he sighed. "We are to speak with the coven in an hour, Serena. You must get ready." He held out his hand for her to take, but Serena hesitated.

She looked to Mel, and the other girl nodded her head slightly. Serena stood and took Michael's hand in hers. With one last glance to Mel, she saw tears forming in the other girl's eyes.

* * *

_So, what are people thinking of the story? Feedback is really great no matter what you say. _

_All those people who put this story on their alert list, you know who you are! :P, I'd love to know your thoughts about what's going on, as well as those who review constantly and make me feel all happy inside. _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	10. Again

The Midairne Castle

Michael led her through the maze-like hallways back to her room quickly, like he was running from the devil's hounds at his heels.

Liz was already waiting for them when they walked in, laying out different outfits that Serena could wear. She looked up at their entrance and walked into the lounge area of Serena's room in an attempt to give them privacy.

Michael turned her around gently and tilted her head up to his. He placed a kiss on her lips and looked at her. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing," Serena lied quickly, trying to shake off his grasp. Mel's words still rang in her ears and Serena couldn't help but be shifty around him. Everything was a lie, a trick. She didn't love him. Oh gods! What was he really doing with her? Was she really just another girl to occupy his time because he was bored? Like he had with Liz and Mel? Or did he actually like her?

He sighed, and rubbed his thumb down her jaw before pulling away. "Liz will help you get ready. Please listen to everything she has to say, it could save our lives." And with that he left, leaving a confused and troubled Serena behind.

"Is he gone?" Liz asked, stepping into the bedroom and closing the lounge area double doors.

Serena nodded, not quite able to speak yet.

"Now, Serena, the way you present yourself is crucial. If you so much as blink your eyes at the wrong time, one of them could snap. So," she started, looking at each outfit she had laid out for Serena to wear. One was a simple white dress, another a white peasant top and black slacks, and the last an edgy red top with only one sleeve and black leggings.

"What is going on?" Serena asked completely confused. "Why is he talking about 'saving our lives'?"

Liz sighed. "You are going to see the Elder Council, Serena. I will explain more after.

"Ok, this one isn't good." Liz said, throwing the last outfit to the ground. "You need something that screams 'I'm innocent', Lestat is a sucker for that. But it has to be something that doesn't make Merishka hate you for being hotter than her…"

Liz finally picked up the white dress, "I think you'll always be more beautiful then Merishka could ever be…so we'll have to settle for something that makes you completely innocent."

She helped Serena put it on, and then curled the blonde's hair. "You look like a picture of complete innocence." She smiled, and then turned serious. "Now, when you enter, be extremely careful when you make eye contact. Make the contact so they know you aren't lying and that you aren't afraid, but you have to look to each of them in turn, ok? Don't spend too long staring at one of them."

Serena nodded, and felt lumps forming in her throat, constricting tightly. "How many elders are there?"

"There are 6. Well, there used to be 9 but 3 have passed from this world. I can tell you more about everything later, but you need to remember this! Ok, so eye contact, but not too much. When you stand, you must stand in the middle of the circle, facing the elder table." Before Serena could say anything, "You will know what I'm talking about when you get in there. Don't look at anyone else around the circle; there will no doubt be a lot of other vampires there. A conflict like this has never happened before."

At Serena's puzzled look Liz elaborated, "Another vampire has never attacked a fellow vampire's servant without permission…well the owner vampire has never pressed charges…"

"I'm not his servan…"

"And another thing, don't talk back. Don't speak unless spoken to!" Liz carried on, fixing Serena's hair and straightening out the hem of her dress. "Place your hands by your sides, where they can see them, so they don't think you're hiding anything. Feet shoulder width apart, stand straight, and don't ever look at the floor.

"Am I forgetting anything?" Liz asked herself, taking in Serena's full appearance. "Your legs go on forever, I am sooo jealous." She laughed, momentarily distracted.

Serena waited for Liz to say more, but it didn't seem like there was any more to say…

"Why are we doing this again?"

Liz sighed. "Ok, Chace attacked you. Michael, being your owner, has decided to press charges. However, the Elder Council cares more for vampires then for humans, so you are in a sticky situation. But they also care about property and breaking code. Seeing as the strictest code is violation of another's property, they are taking this pretty seriously. We will just have to find out what happens now wont we?

"So, what are you going to do?" Liz asked hurriedly.

"Um…eye contact but briefly, head up straight, legs apart, hands by my sides, stand in the middle, don't look at other people…and?"

"DON'T SPEAK UNLESS SPOKEN TO!" laughed Liz, but there was seriousness in her tone.

The door then opened and Alyssa poked her head through, "Annie needs to see you Liz."

"Serena has less than 20 minutes before she has to be down there! Can't it wait?"

"There's a disturbance in the worker's quarters. It's Mel and Nikolas…"

"Shit!" whispered Liz, "Serena, I'll be back in a few minutes. I promise. Don't leave here without me!"

Liz left quickly, with Alyssa close behind her.

What the hell am I supposed to do now? She asked herself, looking about the room. She walked towards the bathroom to the right and looked at her appearance. She looked slightly younger, with no makeup and a plain spaghetti strap dress that ended just above her knees. It flowed around her nicely, hugging certain curves, but also making her look like…a picture of innocence, just as Liz had said. There was really no other way to describe it.

What would they do to her if they thought she was making everything up? Would she be put in the basement to be eaten alive by those cannibal vampires? What would they do to Chace if he were found guilty? Not that she really cared…but what would happen to Michael? She suddenly thought. Even though the man had a tendency to force girls to fall in love with him, he didn't deserve to be brutally killed for it…maybe just killed…

Serena paced, willing her heat beat to slow down and her breathing to even. The door opened and Serena rushed to meet Liz.

But it wasn't Liz. It was _the vampire_ standing there in Liz's place. At his full 6'5", there stood the vampire who had bitten her and found her after her encounter with Chace. He had just entered her room and was striding towards her with a murderous look on his face.

She cried out and rushed back into the bathroom, hoping to lock the door on him, but he was faster, pushing her inside and closing them both in it. Before she could even think he gripped her neck and pinned her to the nearest wall, his eyes glowing their ferocious red. "What are you?" he demanded.

Serena winced as she stared up at him with wide eyes. He shook her painfully, slamming her back against the wall, his hand never leaving her neck. "WHAT ARE YOU?"

"I don't know," she gasped, clawing at his hand, praying for that strange energy to knock him out like it had Chace.

He shook her again, "What was that I can't hear you!"

"I don't know!" she shouted, her voice steadily getting louder. She couldn't feel the energy at all and she was getting pissed off.

He let out a roar-like noise and pushed away from her, "You're driving me crazy! Ever since I've tasted you you've invaded my thoughts! You're flowing through my system like a sick and twisted drug! I can't even satisfy my thirst anymore!"

Serena stared, not having left her spot against the wall, watching as his eyes changed from red to their natural blue color then back again.

When he stepped back towards her, she wished she had moved or shouted out for help, but instead she was trapped between his body and the wall once again. He was looking down at her with glowing eyes and Serena felt her heart jump into her throat. "You can't be human," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face before gripping it lightly. He tilted her jaw from side to side, inspecting every inch of it, as if the answer would jump out at him.

He gripped her shoulders suddenly and pulled her towards him. "What are you?" he whispered against her lips before crushing his lips to hers with an eagerness that was not far from violence. She could feel the anger and confusion from him as his mouth moved against hers. One hand entangled into her hair while the other pulled her lower back even closer to him.

All the while his lips moved against hers in an effort to force a response from her. He got one, but she wasn't sure if it was actually the one he wanted…

She ran her hand through his hair, hoping to pull it out of his skull, but he wasn't deterred. Try as she could, she couldn't turn away from him no matter how much she banged on his chest, or kicked his calves. He had her locked against him, and he wasn't about to let her go anytime soon.

His tongue soon forced its way into her mouth, gently exploring. Serena bit down hard, as she had before, and felt him pull away. "If I had known we were biting," he said, repeating what he had said to her when they were in this exact same position a couple of days before. His lips kissed her neck, his teeth grazing her skin lightly.

Her gaze hardened and she pushed angrily against his chest. He let her and dropped his arms to his sides. "I will find out what you are, Serena, you can count on that," he promised.

Before she could even react, he left, leaving her to feel that she would never find peace in this castle.

Liz found her sometime later still in the washroom, "You ready?"

* * *

_Thoughts? Feelings? Comments? I know reviewing takes sooo much time, but you're reviews really do give me ideas and tell me how I'm doing. _

_What do you think is gonna happen? _

_Who do you like the best? _

_The plot is just unravelling, stay tuned! ;)_

-Maddly Riddled


	11. Judgment

_Look at all the chapters you folks are gettin'!_

_Ok, So...you know the drill. Read the chapter and COMMENT! :D_

* * *

The Midairne Castle

_Liz found her sometime later still in the washroom, "You ready?"_

Serena had rested her hands on the sink and was looking at herself in the mirror. _What exactly _was_ she?_ That vampire had a point. She couldn't be human. What human could create forces of energy that burst from their body to destroy everything in its path and kill people? None that she knew of.

And why did it kill her father, while Chace was merely knocked out? Was it because he was already dead? What was it exactly?

"Serena? You ready?" repeated Liz, watching Serena's features as an inner struggle unfolded.

She snapped out of her reverie and looked at Liz. "Yeah," she breathed.

"Ok…" Liz said, not entirely sure, opening the door for Serena.

They made their way together down the hallways of the fourth floor but instead of turning towards the kitchen, Liz led her towards a common sitting area and took the stairs from there.

"Liz, where are we going?"

"We can't go through the worker's quarters; we have to go to the main floor to reach the basement."

Serena stopped. "THE BASEMENT?"

Liz sighed, "Not that basement. There are two levels beneath the floor. The first is for the elder's judgment, training, weapon production and whatever else. The cannibal vampires are even deeper beneath that, at least a couple of miles beneath the ground. You have nothing to worry about."

Serena breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok…" _Should she just run anyways? What if Liz was lying?_

As they approached the 3rd floor, Serena could hear shouting and laughter.

"The 3rd and 2nd floors are basically the partying floors. Think of it as a frat house," Liz whispered as they continued down the stairs to the main floor. For each flight of stairs, part of the floor that they led to was revealed. As they passed, Serena saw groups of gathered vampires around. Some were laughing, some were fighting, others were dancing, and some were practically having sex…

The two women continued quickly, "Don't make eye contact Serena, and keep going."

Serena did as she was told and they made it to the 1st floor without incidence. They were in what looked like the front hall; huge double doors with intricate engravings reaching almost 30 feet in height were directly in front of them. Serena was almost certain those were the front doors. If she ever managed to sneak out of her room unnoticed she doubted that she would be able to open just one on her own. She'd need an accomplice…or two.

It was a fairly large open space in the front hall. She guessed three of her apartments could have fit into it and another three could probably have been stacked on top of them, there was that much room. The marble floors and beautifully decorated walls must have cost thousands upon thousands of dollars and Serena once again wondered how vampires could have gathered so much money. Even if they lived longer, they must have made the money some way.

There was also another pair of double doors, not as tall but just as amazingly designed to the right, and a hallway to the left.

Liz pushed her slightly towards the left, and they didn't see anyone as Serena was once again nudged lightly to turn right. She opened a regular sized door and saw a flight of stairs leading downwards.

Serena hesitated slightly before descending down them.

"Remember everything I told you Serena?" whispered Liz.

"I…I think so," she replied entering a vacant hallway. It was different then the upstairs of the house. There seemed to be no color anywhere Serena looked. There was another set of stairs off to the right, and a door just a couple of feet in front of her to the left. Michael stood there, waiting for them. His eyes lit up upon seeing Serena, but she ignored it.

Liz walked towards him, opening the door and ushering them through. "Good luck."

"You're not coming?" freaked Serena, grasping the other woman's arm tightly in fear.

"Serena, I can't. I'm not a member of the coven. Only they are allowed to witness the procession." Liz hugged her tightly before pulling away. "Just tell the truth." And with that, Liz left, closing Serena inside a dark room with Michael looking at her worryingly.

_The thing about the truth is that people would think it was a lie, _she thought to herself.

Serena tried to calm herself, but wondered why she was even putting in the effort when the hundreds of vampires on the other side of the door could hear her rapidly beating heart anyways.

Michael cleared his throat and Serena's gaze snapped to his. "What?"

"Serena, they can sense your fear…"

"You think I don't know that?"

"Just trying to help," protested Michael, frowning slightly, his hand moving towards the ring on his index finger.

She noticed the movement, but didn't feel the rush of love that she had before. Perhaps this 'spell' was broken when she became aware of it? "I know," sighed Serena, "I'm just so scared."

Michael pulled Serena in for a quick hug and was surprised when she kept holding on. "Liz told you everything right?"

"Yeah, eye contact but not too much, stand in middle, don't look at anyone else, hands by my side, don't speak unless spoken to…" she mumbled into his chest.

"Yeah, and don't fidget, head down and just let the mind reader in…"

"MINDREADERS!" snapped Serena in a hushed breath, her breathing coming in staggering breaths as she pulled her head up to look around the room.

"I thought you said Liz told you everything?"

"I guess she failed to mention that part!"

"Ok, ok, one of the elders just touches their hand to your forehead and looks into your memories. It's not painful, but if you refuse they would find you guilty no matter what they saw in anyone else's head…"

Serena felt like crying. This mind reader was going to see her power and expose her to everyone. They were going to kill her for sure, she could feel it.

"Are you going to be alright? I know that Chace will be found guilty, you shouldn't worry."

"Yeah, yeah sure," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "Listen, if I don't make it out of this…"

Michael was about to protest but she kept going, "I'm happy you were so nice to me, even if you were just looking for something to do."

"I wasn't…"

"It's ok. Whatever you were doing, I forgive you." She said, pulling away from him and opening the next door.

Michael reached out to her, but she stepped forward into the dimly lit room. It was a huge wide room with a high ceiling, but with this many vampires filling it, it seemed much smaller. She couldn't see anything through the sea of vampires surrounding her.

There was so many, all completely different from the other. Some were tall, others short, some gothic, others preppy, some nerdish, some sluts, but all were beautiful. They all had something about them that made their best qualities stand out in their appearances. Was it the fact that they were all vampires? The living dead?

Each and every one of them looked at her as she entered the room, eyeing her up and down. She, the mortal that had been attacked by one of their own, whose owner was now charging that same vampire, was walking among them, still living! Many of them couldn't care less that Chace was being judged by the coven, most wondered how the hell she was still walking after that sort of encounter.

The clusters of vampires parted before her, revealing the long, elegant, and slightly raised table at the end of the room. Tall columns spread down the length of the room elegantly, 3 on either side of the table. Each contained the same engravings as the other main doors, all glowing slightly as she hesitantly walked into the middle of the room trying to look anywhere but at the six vampires before her.

She could feel the vampires behind her crowding back together, leaving her trapped in the middle of the room. Now she was surrounded by bloodthirsty killers with no way of leaving unless she hoped to defeat all of them in an effort to escape…

Serena wanted to crawl into herself and die. Her heartbeat accelerated once again and she heard a taunting snap of teeth. She tried not to let it affect her and stood tall; placing her hands at her sides like Liz told her to. She waited for someone to speak, but was disappointed in having to wait for the words that would no doubt bring upon her death. She tried not to fidget, or shift her weight back and forth, but she couldn't take it any longer.

She refrained from speaking but looked up at the table. To her surprise, David sat to her far right, slouching slightly with his head on his fist and his feet propped up. He grinned widely and winked at her when she looked at him.

Serena felt a sneer making its way onto her face and glanced away quickly, only to notice that there was already a disgusted look directed towards him from the opposite end of the table.

There was an empty seat on either side of this red headed demon at the left side of the table. It looked like her arrogant, narcissistic aura could have been the reason. Serena wondered if the 3 dead elders were because this woman killed them. She shook her head and took in the vampire's appearance.

She was beautiful, with long, flaming unnaturally curled red hair, pale skin and a magnificent body covered in a cream colored Victorian dress. But her face was contorted as her brilliant green eyes flashed daggers at David from the other side of the table. This made her seem far older then she probably would have liked, perhaps 37 years old. Serena briefly wondered why David didn't seem to notice that this woman wanted his head on a stick…

Serena turned her gaze to the next vampire in line after the red head, and she almost gasped out loud. She was taken aback by his look of complete seduction. It seemed as if he wanted to devour her, literally. He had shoulder length chestnut hair and stared over his folded hands with penetrating honey eyes right at Serena.

He smirked slightly as they made eye contact and continued to stare when she felt herself shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Even if he were still a man he would have been much older than her. 34 or 35 years old she would have guessed by the looks of him, but he was aging…or had been aging well. Serena inwardly shook her head and looked back to David. He was still grinning.

Serena rolled her eyes and looked at David's right to a woman with dark hair and stunning blue eyes. She had a cute, round, young face and a relaxed expression. She was most likely the youngest at this 'elder' table, probably turned at 27 years old with an average sized body.

She regarded Serena with curiosity, and no glares. There was another empty seat to the vampiric woman's right, and another woman so captivatingly beautiful that Serena felt she would do anything to have this vampire look back at her. This woman was elegance and grace embodied with long curly light brown hair, natural streaks of blond running through it, pale skin and huge observant hazel eyes. It seemed like this vampire had lived a long life, even before she was turned at 29. Although there was no emotion in this woman's face, a deep sadness rested in her far off eyes. But she seemed to remain alert and on guard for whatever was to come.

Serena fought to tare her gaze away from this woman to look at the last vampire at the head of the table, but she finally did. In the middle with four chairs on either of his sides, sat the most intimidating man…vampire, she had ever seen.

She could tell right away that his word was taken for law in this place of the undead. He was built, extremely built, more so then any other vampire she had seen in the room, perhaps more than the vampire that kept trying to bite her…and he was rugged. Dark messed up hair that spiked upwards on two sides on his head gave him an almost wolf-like appearance. The glare of hatred that seemed to be permanently etched onto his face didn't make her feel any different about her comparison of this man to a wolf.

His deep vibrant green eyes somehow seemed familiar to her though, but she couldn't place them. Liz's words echoed through her mind, that she shouldn't stare, but Serena couldn't look away from this vampire. She knew him, that was for sure, but she knew she had never met him before.

She would have remembered seeing _this _vampire; his presence was so overwhelmingly powerful. Who the hell was this? Why did she feel like she knew him? He looked to be about mid-forty, maybe slightly younger but she was sure she hadn't have ever met him before, no matter how old he really was.

Who knew how long these vampires had been alive for? How many decades they had seen…

"Serena," said a voice to the right of that vampire. Serena's gaze snapped over to the vamp that who had been undressing her with his eyes mockingly, to the leader's right (Serena's left from the center of the table). "The one human the elders were willing to make a member of the coven."

Serena didn't say anything, but looked at him in shock. _What? They were going to make her an actual member?_ She glanced around, hoping to spot Michael, but she couldn't see him in the mass crowd of vampires surrounding her.

He smirked when she continued not to say anything, in approval she hoped, of her superior knowledge of not speaking unless spoken to…

"I am Lestat," he said, bowing his head slightly, "And we are the elders of Midairne."

_Lestat? _Her mind screamed. _The Lestat from the Anne Rice novels? The FAMOUS Lestat? Why is he speaking and not the obvious leader among them?_

"We maintain control over the coven by rewarding and punishing those that deserve it." He paused and looked down the table to each of his comrades. "You are here today to lay witness to the prosecution of Chace Meakins, age 243, sired by the late Elder Markus," he continued in a bored tone, as if reading a slip of paper.

"May his suffering be painless," the room chanted. It took Serena a minute to realize that they were talking about this Markus, not Chace. This Elder Markus must have died...or had been killed. Serena thought she remembered Liz saying that 3 elders were murdered…_hence the three empty seats at the long Elder table._

"Bring in the guilty," Lestat said, waving a hand forward.

"He is not yet found guilty, Lestat," hissed the red head from the left side of the table.

"We will see Merishka," retorted Lestat to the burning haired woman.

Four guards barged in through a set of doors to the right of the room, each carrying a limb of a shriveled, pale and red eyed Chace. He looked horrific. His veins were black and popping from his bluish gray skin, making him seem only half alive...or half whatever he would have been described as. His eyes were closed as he was brought to stand a couple of feet away from her in the center of the room. They snapped open to show a glowing red, taking in the appearance of the room and all those in attendance inside it. Then he saw Serena. He automatically began struggling against the restraining guards in an effort to attack Serena once again, throwing off two before they managed to hold him back.

Serena didn't flinch away but stood her ground and glared at him. If she had any control of her powers she would have knocked him out again.

"Bitch!" he snarled, still flailing wildly.

"Chace Meakins, you have suffered blood deprivation, having been accused of attacking Miss Serena last night at approximately 400 hours. Knowing that any handling of another's slaves is strictly forbidden unless given permission, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Chace snapped.

Lestat continued on, making a note on the piece of paper in front of him. "If found guilty, your punishment will be decided by the elders collectively. If innocent, the dealing of the slave, Miss Serena, will be yours solely and we would ask that you accept our humble apology.

"The accusation is given by Michael Krasimir, if he would please step forward," continued Lestat's voice.

Serena's eyes had flared at the mention of slave, but she forced herself not to say anything, or to turn to look at Michael who had come to stand beside her.

"Aye, Sir," Michael said from beside her, bowing his head slightly.

"You have stated that you found Miss Serena and Chace Meakins on the fourth floor kitchen; Chace being unconscious at the time while Serena was fully awake with minor bruising."

_Minor? _She thought. She would have bruises for weeks to come from that little encounter last night. _Couldn't they see them all over her neck? _She asked herself angrily.

"That's right, sire," Michael responded.

Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. Whispering spread through the crowd at the news,

"How could she have survived?"

"He's a vampire! No way she won that fight."

"Is she even human?"

"How did she knock him out?"

Lestat clapped his hands, and the noise within the room suddenly ended. "Jadis," he said, nodding to the woman with soft features beside David.

She stood smoothly, gliding towards them to standing in front of all of them, her back to the raised table. She a few of inches shorter then Serena at 5'6", a red corset top hugging her hourglass figure very nicely and black gypsy skirt flowing around her making her appear as if she had been floating through the air as she walked towards them.

"Michael first," Lestat spoke.

Jadis smiled slightly at Michael, making her seem all the more attractive. Michael smiled back and knelt down in front of her. She raised her hand to his forehead and closed her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered slightly before she stepped away from him. She smiled again to Michael and stepped towards Serena.

Serena tried to smile, but she felt herself grimace instead. Jadis, however, offered an encouraging smile while Serena mimicked Michael and knelt down.

Jadis's cold hand came to rest on her forehead and Serena looked up at her. Nothing happened, but Jadis's eyes fluttered once again before she stepped back. A brief look of shock flashed through her eyes, but she smiled anyways and made her way towards the restrained Chace.

He glared at her, struggling against his restraints, his teeth snapping at her descending hand. As she flinched her hand out of reach, he was hit in the head by a guard and forced to kneel. Jadis didn't smile, but frowned, forcing her hand to his forehead. Her eyes closed briefly before they snapped open. She recoiled her hand as if burned. "To Chrozon with him!" she shouted.

Lestat, David, and Merishka rose to their feet quickly. "What is it Jadis?" Lestat asked.

"He has used a blocking spell on his mind. Any with a soul will be burned inside out if they try to read what he wants to remain hidden. What he has failed to cover with this spell, however, is the fact that he has been in league with the lycans for some time now. He has been leaking information to them of our coven's whereabouts, stealing from the treasury, and has been planning to overthrow the elders to create anarchy!" she sneered down at Chace, her eyes turning to a lethal red. "He also tried to kill the young girl, suspecting she was the one from the prophecy."

A collective gasp sounded throughout the room as Jadis finished. Serena looked at Chace in shock, _the girl from the prophecy?_ _What prophecy was this? _She thought to herself. _These people…vampires still believed in prophecies?_

"To Chrozon," spat Lestat.

"Chrozon," repeated Merishka, Jadis, and David. The remaining two of the coven stayed silent, the wolf looking man and the vampire goddess. They seemed to be just witnessing the ordeal, rather than taking part of it.

"That is majority, to Chrozon with him," stated Lestat, a dull glow rimming his eyes.

"NO!" shouted Chace, fear finally creeping onto his face. "No! She will kill you all! She will bring destruction and chaos to our coven!" He spat at Serena as he was carried from the room, closely followed by Jadis. "You saw her power!" he snapped at Jadis.

Serena watched, standing tall, still in the middle of the room. She wasn't going to die.

She felt arms circle around her, and realized Michael was as relieved as she was, hugging her tightly. When he broke away from her he acknowledged the rest of the room, "Elders! Members of the Midairne coven, may I formally introduce the newest member! Serena," he bowed to the table before holding her arm up in the air.

A group to her left gasped, but not because of Michael's announcement. The mysterious vampire, who had bitten her and had tried to again only an hour before, had pushed his way through the crowd to stand on the edge of the circling vampires. "No!' he shouted. "There is no addition!"

Michael stepped defensively in front of Serena, to face the vampire. "What the hell Jared?" snapped Michael. "She is under my protection and I've initiated her into our coven, why do you object?"

The once nameless vampire, who had brought her mere seconds away from death, walked to the center of the circle, only a few feet away from her and Michael then turned to the remaining elders. "She is mine," he declared.

* * *

_Things are going to get crazy from here on out. _

_If some of you are wondering why this story is M, it will become clear very soon. _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	12. Shock

_Ok, So...you know the drill. Read the chapter and REVIEW! :D_

* * *

The 1st level of the basement in the Castle Midairne

_The once nameless vampire, who had brought her mere seconds away from death, walked to the center of the circle only a few feet away from her and Michael then turned to the remaining elders. "She is mine," he declared. _

Jared's eyes flashed red as he continued, "I have tasted her blood, Drake. Under Midairne law she belongs to me by right."

The wolf-like vampire seated in the middle chair looked up when his name was spoken and lifted a brow. Before he could speak David asked incredulously, "Is that true Michael?"

"I…yes…he bit her…" there was a collective gasp throughout the audience. "But she was mine when he did! _That _is against our law, to deal with another's slave without permission! Chace was just punished for such a crime!"

Serena looked at all of them like they were crazy. They were talking about her as if she wasn't even there, as if she was just an object!

"She escaped you, Michael," hissed Jared, looming over Michael as he stepped forward; he had over 4 inches on Michael. He glanced at Serena's angry expression before looking back down at Michael, "She escaped you, and stumbled upon me. I bit her, which means she was completely mine, and you took her from _me_!" Before Jared said his last word he was beside Serena, gripping her arm painfully. She hadn't even seen him move!

Michael protested loudly, "Drake! This is ridiculous! She just got out of her chain and left the room! She didn't escape!"

_Out of my chain? _Serena thought angrily. _Am I a dog? _

"It doesn't matter, Michael. You managed to lose control of her, legally meaning she wasn't yours anymore, and then she came across me. I bit her and I therefore seek the right to claim her as my property! Michael came into my room and left with her. Liz was there as well. You might want to ask her about it." Turning to Michael, Jared practically sing songed, "That's considered stealing."

So no one else could hear, Michael hissed to Jared, "Why wait all this time to claim her! What are you getting out of this now?"

"If what you say is true, Jared," said the woman to Drake's right in the most beautiful voice Serena had ever heard. "Serena would be under your control, the accusations of Chace regarding Serena dropped, and Michael would face punishment." Serena felt herself go into a trance as the female vampire elder spoke, but snapped out of it when Michael started shouting again.

"No! Amelia, Serena belongs to me! And I've made her a member of the coven so she belongs to no one!"

"She is no longer to be considered a member if she never belonged to you in the first place, Michael," snapped Lestat, leaning back in his chair.

"She was to be my life partner!" Michael suddenly declared.

Another gasp sounded throughout the room.

Serena looked at Michael in shock, "What?" she barely whispered from Jared's hold. No one heard her; everyone was focused on Michael who had bowed his head, almost shamefully.

"Regardless of what you had planned, did she escape the control you had over her or not?" Lestat demanded.

"She did," muttered Michael, as if he were physically injured.

"And she was with Jared when you saw her next?"

"Yes."

"Then you have stolen her from Jared, in which case _you _must be punished," continued Lestat.

"Yes," Michael whispered.

"Then let it be known that Serena is _not _a part of this coven, Chace is dismissed from the charges Michael has placed against him, however he will suffer the consequences to the actions against the coven..."

Jared interrupted Lestat's little speech declaring, "I will still be pressing charges against Chace."

Lestat continued as if he didn't hear him, "...Jared will maintain ownership over Serena, Michael Krasimir must face 6 days in the Abyss and his slaves will be placed under.

Jared's control until such time that Michael's sentence is finished. Dismissed," Lestat declared, standing and waving a few of the vampires in the crowd to grab hold of Michael.

Serena couldn't believe it. She was now under this _Jared's _control. He _owned _her. Her breathing began to quicken as Michael was led through the same doors Chace had left through, followed closely by David. _Where was the Abyss? What exactly would he be facing?_

She was beginning to gasp for air, and felt her legs go numb. What was going to happen to her? Every time she had been with this vampire she had either been injured or almost killed. Michael had been the only one that had taken care of her. He gave her clothes, food, and a room…but he had also put a stupid spell on her! She watched, but barely noticed the crowd of vampires leaving the room.

The redheaded elder, Merishka, left with two vampires from the crowd, one male of 6 feet with dark hair and taunting eyes, the other female with reddish hair and hazel eyes at 5'5". Both looked to be early twenties, much younger then Merishka. They left, following the crowd, but the younger redheaded female shot Serena looks of murder. For what, Serena didn't know, but she didn't really care at the moment. She also watched as the beautiful Amelia stood gracefully and glided from the room through a door directly behind the table. For another moment she felt transfixed on this woman. How was Amelia practically controlling her, drawing Serena closer to her? Was this Elder gifted with a magical ability as well?

Jared's hand gripped her arm tighter, bringing Serena's attention back to him, but he seemed to be talking to the vampire 'Brett' that she had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting before. She began to panic again, and looked about the room, her eyes coming to land on the leader of the elders who hadn't spoken at all. She gasped when her eyes met his; she finally figured out where she had seen those eyes before…they were almost the same shade as hers...and the same size. They bore deeply into hers, leaving her feeling entirely exposed. He looked away and stood, with too much grace for a man of his size and stature.

At his rising, Brett and the brunette from the party she was kidnapped from called Dee, moved towards him, to flank him on both sides as he left the room. Serena noticed that Dee, very close to her in height, only came to the leader's chin. Another tall male vampire, just what she needed.

As her eyes snapped back and forth through the room, she noticed that she and Jared were now alone, everyone else having left. She felt his other hand grip hers as she was pulled in front of him. Serena ducked her head to avoid his burning eyes and stared at the floor.

He didn't say anything like she had expected him to; no taunting remark, no threatening comment, nothing. But she could tell he was staring at her, simply staring.

She fidgeted under his scrutiny, but he didn't let her move too much, keeping an iron hold on her. When she couldn't take it anymore, she looked up, only to have his lips crash onto hers. She tensed and resisted the onslaught, but it was no use, like before. She tried to bite down, knowing it usually made him stop, but he seemed to move his mouth to avoid her teeth and deepened the kiss at the same time.

He pulled her flush against him, wanting to feel every curve against his own body. It seemed that being with her like this was the only way to keep from being thrown back into the deep recesses of his host's subconscious. Jared didn't know what it was about her. She was a siren, bewitching him into thinking about her, forcing him to thirst for blood even as he was kissing her.

Serena suddenly stopped moving, becoming stone and letting him do what he wished. But he soon stopped as well, "It's no fun when you're passive against this," he whispered on her lips. Still gripping her shoulders, he pulled her away from him slightly, so he could look down at her. "What are you Serena?"

"I'm not Serena," she answered truthfully.

"Really?" he laughed humorlessly, his red eyes flashing in anger. "And just who might you be then?"

"Gabriella Smith."

He growled, shaking her a little, just enough to let her know that she was provoking him, "You can either tell me the truth or I can force it out of you," his tone turned threatening, as he looked down at her.

She hated how tall he was. Usually, since she was so tall, she didn't have to look up that much to make eye contact with a man. With him she felt herself craning her neck to see his eyes more then half a foot above her own. She remained quiet as he glared down at her.

"Fine," he snarled at her silence, dragging her out of the room and up the stairs to the main entrance of the castle.

She struggled in his grasp fiercely as they approached the doors that led out of the castle. If she had a chance to leave she would, and hopefully she would be able to outrun these vampires just like she had the cops. He pushed her against the wall before they reached the door to the entranceway and pulled her leg around his waist, nipping her bottom lip roughly.

His actions were so unexpected it took her a moment to fight back. Even though she knew he would probably end up killing her, she couldn't help but notice that he was truly experienced with the way he administered painful and pleasurable feelings within her.

Serena realized she shouldn't want to participate in their kiss and stomped on his foot, managing to pull out of his grasp before slapping him across the face. He glared down at her, pulling her close and kissing her again. After running his tongue over her lip, he pushed her away from him, but not before grabbing her wrist and pulling her along behind him once again.

They entered the grand entrance way with her scratching and hitting his hand. This time it wasn't empty and some vampires were lounging about on the small couches pressed to the wall on either side of the double doors.

They watched her struggle with Jared, laughing lightly as he led her up a staircase she had never taken before. If she weren't trying to fight for her life, she would have noticed how spectacular the entranceway was.

But as it was, she was biting, clawing, kicking, punching and slapping him everywhere she could before he just grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. Some of the vampires below cheered, but Serena ignored them, hitting the back of his legs, hoping to make him fall.

He didn't and he continued up the next three flights of stairs holding her on top of his shoulder, jerking her slightly every time she hit a sensitive spot on the back of his knees.

They were soon on the fourth floor, and Serena clued in that his room had always been there, right by hers. No wonder it was so easy for him to sneak into her room, or see her in the kitchen. He had probably heard her screaming that night.

They passed her old room but he kept walking to his own. However, he didn't enter through the same door that she had stumbled through; it was the next one over.

She looked up in confusion and noticed that they were in a different room entirely. No blood painted the walls, nor did it stain the floors, there were no chains and there were actually lights on. It was a modest room, just a bed, a dresser, and a night table. A door, other than the one they had just entered from, was to the right; no doubt leading to that dreadful room he had killed that poor girl in.

Jared dumped her unceremoniously on the bed and attached a chain around her wrist to the bedpost. _So much for no chains, _she thought to herself, sitting up. He looked down at her in deep thought, before walking to his dresser. Removing his shirt, Serena noticed the broad expanse of his back, and how his muscles knotted in certain places when he moved. If only they had met under different circumstances…and he wasn't a fucking crazy vampire out for her blood…

He opened a drawer and threw the shirt inside before turning back to her. Her eyes raked down his body, noting that he was probably one of the most attractive people she had seen in her life, not that she would ever tell him of course. Even though he wasn't the stereotypical attractive as Michael had been, he was built, and Serena had always been more attracted to that than anything else.

Her gaze snapped to his red eyes when he knelt on the bed beside her. He didn't say anything, but rested a hand on her bare thigh. She slapped his hand away with her free hand. No matter how physically attracted she was to this vampire she would never be with him willingly. He was soulless, completely and utterly evil. At least Michael had shown her a decent side.

Jared seemed to be taken over by his vampire side, his eyes always that glowing red, except that one time in the kitchen, but she had no idea what the hell he was doing then. She wondered briefly if he would turn into one of those cannibal vampires in the basement…could a vampire even turn into one of them?

He withdrew a slender knife from his jean pocket and pressed the hilt against his temple, looking at her intently.

Serena's eyes widen, and her heart raced as he watched her with an emotionless expression. She held her breath as he placed the end of the knife to her temple and brushed the hair away from her face with it, never once slicing her delicate skin.

"So, what are you Serena?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"I don't know." She whispered in response, afraid to move unless she cut herself on the sharp edge of the blade currently resting on the side of her head.

Jared moved the knife back and forth through her hair, slicing thin strands. "Really?"

"Really," she breathed.

He removed the knife and leaned his head on his fisted hand with the blade, looking at her intensely. "So, what if you're lying?"

"I'm not."

"But what if you are? Hmm? What should I do to you then?"

"Nothing, because I'm not lying. "

He laughed, and Serena felt shivers of fear run through her at the sound. She didn't know if they were good or bad...

Jared laughed again when he saw the gooseflesh across her skin. "You're a good liar, _Gabriella_. You would have been a great undercover agent if they had actually made you a member of the coven."

Serena wanted to make a comeback, but felt her throat drying out. She watched as he slid the blade across her thigh, never looking away from her eyes. She gasped when a small cut was made across her skin.

He lowered his head to the thin line of blood dripping from the wound and sucked lightly. She pushed on his head with her free hand, but he responded by sucking harder on the top of her thigh.

She kicked his head with her other leg and he rose slightly. "Don't make me tie up all your limbs Serena, or do you prefer Gabriella?"

She glared down at him, "Call me whatever the hell you want, but keep your mouth off me."

"Ok," he said, running his hands over her thighs, traveling as close as possible to her core before going back down, then up once more after he reached her knees.

"And your hands," she snapped, jerking her legs away from him, sitting on top of them. It was awkward, trying to ward him away with only one arm, the other chained to the bedpost, and her legs, which were now underneath her, but she was going to try.

He smirked, his eyes glowing slightly fainter than before. He rose to his knees in front of her, one hand still wielding the dreaded knife. His hands hovered over her as they moved across her skin, never touching her but coming extremely close.

She leaned back into the backboard on the bed, hoping to create more space between them, but his hands followed, hovering over her breasts before traveling down her stomach to rest in the air over the tops of her thighs. "Maybe you should just leave," she snapped.

"I would, but I'm only going to go if you tell me all about this inhuman-like quality you have going for yourself. And make sure I don't think you're lying or else…" he sighed, "well I think you can imagine just what sort of things I could do to you in my current state. I'm sure Elizabeth and Melissa have filled you in on all the lovely extras you get with being a vampire."

"I've been told that you have no control over this 'virus' that comes with being a vampire, but I think that's a load of shit. I also think you don't even have another side to you," Serena snapped again, trying to stand on the bed, to look down at him.

He pulled her back down, seeing her intention and had her fall into his lap. "Oh, there is, it's just that you seem to bring out the best in me, Serena, and I want to know how to make it stop."

She struggled to sit back across from him, but he wasn't having any of that, and pulled the knife out against her skin again. "It seems that a dose of your delectable blood is the only thing that keeps my humanity."

"Or maybe you're just turning to the dark side."

He laughed, "Or maybe you're just saying that because you don't want to be eaten every day, twice a day?"

"If that's the only thing that will keep you human then you must be closer to turning into a cannibal then you thought."

She gasped when he pulled her back against his chest suddenly, resting the knife on her shoulder strap. "I think it's just you, Serena. The minute I saw you my vampire self has been taking over, which is unusual since I've been feeding overly much ever since then."

"You mean killing innocent people?" she hissed, as the knife caressed her shoulder gently.

The strap ripped as Jared cut it, half of her dress falling beneath her white bra. "None of them are innocent, Serena, and all of them are willing. Do you know just how many people are willing to be eaten by vampires? It's pretty sick, but you aren't one of them are you?"

"No."

"I've never bitten someone that didn't want to be…except for you. Well, I guess you'll just have to be my one exception now won't you?" His hand gripped her hair, pulling her head to the side and exposing her neck.

He bit down hard and Serena screamed at the pain before slowly blacking out.

* * *

_Just out of curiousity, which celebrity do you compare all the characters to?_

_Review please!_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	13. What He Feels

_Oh lovelies, you fill my heart with joy! :D Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE reviews! They make me so happy I just have to write more and more!_

_October Thorne: The Drake thing, you'll find out everything later on! I love cookies!_

* * *

Jared's room, fourth floor.

The second Serena had lost consciousness Jared pulled away from her, laying her down gently on the bed and uncuffing her hand. His thirst had subsided for the moment, meaning the dysfunctional vampire sharing the space in his body had gone into the deep recesses of his mind.

Jared breathed in a deep nonexistent breath before sighing. Ever since she had appeared in his room he had felt disconnected from himself. It was as if _the vampire_ had taken over completely, leaving him trapped in the dark subconscious part of his brain; unable to stop all of the actions the vampire was forcing his body to do.

Like some other vampires, when Jared was bitten he had managed to completely dissociate from the virus that was forced into his body. The virus managed to become its own being instead of imbedding itself to his DNA. While others vampires somehow became 'one with their inner demon' and were able to embrace both aspects of being the undead, he did not. Although he gained the supernatural speed, strength, flexibility, eyesight, hearing, smell, taste, and the inability to enter sunlight, he was still who he had been before the turn. The theory Jared had come up with was that his mind had broken once he was bitten, creating an alter ego in the form of his 'virus', _the vampire_, he often referred to it as. His vampire was another creature entirely; feeding, killing and maiming whenever it pleased, but it shared his body. It was egocentric, overconfident, violent, sadistic and bloodthirsty. If Jared were lucky, it would only control him until it was satisfied with its bloodlust. Other times it wasn't that simple. Sometimes blood wasn't the only thing _the vampire_ wanted.

However he had learned to live with this 'condition', and he usually had full control. But he was still a special case in the vampiric world. Some vampires gained a psychic ability, others a strange ability that no other vampire had, while he, on the other hand, gained the ability to survive for months on end without _the vampire_ emerging. While regular vampires could only last 16 hours without blood before their 'virus' emerged, he was capable of going for extreme amounts of time without ever drinking a drop of blood. This was especially good in his case due to the fact that his 'vampire' seemed to be completely and utterly psychotic. Jared was able to keep control and function as a relatively important member of the coven, keeping the vampire side at bay to prevent mass amounts of mayhem and destruction his 'evil' side managed to do while in existence. Even though that side of him didn't emerge very often, the amount of chaos he created made people keep a wide berth of him even when he wasn't controlled by his vampire half.

But ever since Serena had shown up it had been different. He wasn't able to control that vampire side. It seemed to emerge more and more, and he wasn't sure how long it would be until it took him over completely.

Jared shook his head, hoping to get rid of these plaguing thoughts, and walked back to his dresser to pull out his shirt again. He didn't know what the hell the vampire had been doing. _What did it want with Serena?_ What was it about Serena that made the vampire crave her?

He looked back to Serena, who was passed out on his bed. She was beautiful, he had to admit, but beauty wasn't much to him anymore…same for the vampire, he was sure. After living as long as they had, beauty was only useful for one good lay…or a drink. But the ability to carry on a conversation and match his sarcasm was what truly attracted him to any woman.

As he looked at her he could tell she was strong willed and determined. He didn't know anything about her, but he could sense her innocence, her goodness. She smelt different from other humans; something about her that made her smell irresistible. And not only to him, that was for sure. He had seen the way the other vampires looked at her when she entered the Elders' judging room. They all wanted to drink from her. Even now, when he was in complete control, he wondered about her, wanted her. What was she? Simply human?

Michael had really found a true beauty in this girl, they would have been happy together. Too bad she was his now, due to his vampire self.

What was he going to do with her? Whatever human talents she had would most likely go to waste. She would be stuck here for the rest of her life, he was sure…or until she was killed. She would get lonely if he kept her to himself, as he planned on only seeing her when he lost complete control. He had too much to do for the coven to spend time showing her around and playing host, like Michael had done. Maybe he should room her with Mel, or Liz to work in the household? He wouldn't let anyone else touch her, of course, but he had the coven to protect, weapons to make, what would he do with a young girl? He wasn't even sure of her age! He couldn't just ignore all other responsibilities for her…

He had only been turned at 27 years, but he had lived for over 250. He couldn't court her, or treat her the way she deserved, even if he tried. There was too much happening within the coven that he wouldn't ever be able to focus solely on her, like she needed. The only attention she would be receiving was from _the vampire_. And who knew when he would lose control and bite her. The _vampire _in him had already claimed her as its slave, what else would happen if it were around her too much? He definitely didn't want a newborn vampire on his hands.

He wished he could just let her leave here, never to come back, to live a good life. But he knew that now that her scent was in his head, _the vampire_ could always go to find her the next time he managed to lose control. She would never get to live a normal human life.

The way his vampire craved her blood scared him. The way _he _seemed to crave her blood scared him even more. What would happen if he accidentally killed her? What if he killed her without any help from _the vampire_? He would probably be tormented by her death for the rest of his existence until he bit the big one.

_What was happening to him_? He asked himself, running a hand over his unshaven face. Why did he think about her so much? Why did the vampire think about her so much? What the hell was she?

He vowed to ask Drake or Amelia later, but right now he had work to do.

With one last wistful look at the blond currently lying in his bed, he left, in search of his coworkers.

* * *

Serena woke sometime later to find herself alone in _his _room. _That motherfucker! He had bitten her again, hadn't he?_ She sighed in exasperation. She really hoped that the only thing he did was bite her. _Well, my clothes are still on, _she thought, sitting up.

She wished she knew what time it was as she stood and stretched. Walking about the room she looked for a bathroom. _Did he even have a bathroom?_ She asked herself, looking behind each of the two doors. The first led into his personal torture room, the one she had tried to hide in the first night she was here. Serena shivered after closing that door, hoping to never have to go into it again. The second door led out into the hall and Serena found herself walking towards her old room. It wasn't locked, and she breathed a sigh of relief once entering. She closed the door and rushed into the washroom.

Afterwards, she went to her closet and pulled out something to wear for the day. Would he still let her keep her room? Her clothes?...of which she had stolen, but Jared didn't know that. She ended up wearing a pair of jeans and the red top Michael had picked out for her when they were raiding the random vampire's closet.

As she put on the shirt she thought of Michael and all that had transpired between them. She had liked him, despite the spell he tried to place on her, but she wasn't sure what to think of him. He had brought all these girls here, telling them that they would be together and then they became slaves. Would the same have happened to her? But he had announced he planned on making her his…life partner? Was that vampire slang for soul mate? Or lover of the ages or some shit? No, she really didn't have any idea what to think of him. But she did miss him, more then she would have thought possible since he had been the one to bring her to this Godforsaken place. Where had they sent him? Where were Liz and Mel? Weren't they too under Jared's control while Michael suffered his punishment?

She looked around her room and turned when the door opened. Mel entered, holding a tray of sandwiches. "Jared said you would be in here," she said, placing the tray on the bed. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? What about you? Are you ok? What dumb shit is he making you do?"

"Um…nothing. I'm just doing what I usually do every day. "

"Cleaning?"

"Basically," Mel responded, taking a bite into one of the sandwiches. "He's a rather detached person, actually. Doesn't really care what we do…"

Serena laughed without any trace of humor. "Jared? Detached? He's a whack job, that's what he is."

"Think whatever you want. I've never really talked to him, but the word around here is that he's a genius…with a crazy virus pumping through his system."

"What do you mean?"

"You know when I told you that all vampires suffer from this virus that controls them if they don't drink enough?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…Jared's different. The virus in him can emerge at any time, usually not for months. No one's really sure why, maybe its because he loses control of his anger or its some split personality thing that he had before he was turned. Who knows? And the virus condition can last a much longer time in him, apparently it doesn't go away until the virus gets whatever it wants or craves at the time."

Serena was extremely confused. _A vampire with a split personality?_ She thought to herself. Well that wasn't something you heard every day. But she chose not to say anything as she ate her sandwich.

"He's also one of the really important people in the war with the lycans, when he's not crazy that is," added Mel, eating her sandwich as well.

"About that, what the hell? Vampires are at war with werewolves? Isn't that a little stereotypical?"

"I guess, but it's true. It's been going on for centuries now."

"Does anyone remember how it started?" Serena asked in disbelief.

"They _all _remember how it started; it's probably what keeps them going and killing them," Mel said, sitting down on the bed. "Before the council, vampires used to have a monarchy, a royal family or sorts. This family, who had been ruling in what we now know as Bulgaria ever since the beginning of the age of humans, was very well respected. There was Chavdar, the King, his wife Ruwana, and his four children Althea, Glyndwr, Terra, and Amon. When they were assassinated about 6 centuries ago, it caused chaos and destruction to the vampire covens throughout the world, until they figured out who did it." Mel paused dramatically, and Serena took the bait, "Who did it?"

"It was a werewolf, holding a grudge against Chavdar because he would not let the lycan into the coven. Pretty dumb, right? So the vampires struck back, resulting in a full out war. Right now they are at a stalemate, but the elders are pretty afraid of an attack in the near future…."

"And they're still fighting 6 centuries later?"

"Pretty much."

"And Jared is very important in this?"

"He's a strategist, on a good day, and one of their weapons producers."

"You're kidding."

"Nope, everyone in the coven does something of use or else they are asked to leave. It's not all fun and games around here…well it is to some, but that's because some of them are sick and twisted…"

"What did Michael do?" Serena interrupted her, before she could go on a rant.

"Nothing really, he just had good connections before he turned, and kept them after he was dead. He supplies the coven with its large sums of money. He's the business man, not really having much to do with the war, but he keeps the money rolling in" Mel said, finishing off the last sandwich. "Um…Jared said you could spend the rest of the day with me if you wanted. Instead of being stuck in this room all day…"

"He's going to force me to clean around here, isn't he?" she demanded, standing up angrily.

Mel sighed, "Probably, but it's better than doing nothing all day. I bet you'd be bored within 20 minutes!"

"You have a point. But I'm telling him when I see him again that I am no slave. I won't stand for it."

Mel stared at her like she had grown a third head. "Good luck," she muttered, taking the tray and opening the door. "I'll show you to the worker's kitchen then."

* * *

For the rest of the day, Serena spent it with Mel. They made all sorts of food preparations for an upcoming event, a ball or something. She wasn't really paying attention. Apparently there would be all sorts of different guests arriving, including trolls, giants, elves, demons, and witches. 'Oh goody,' she thought to herself sarcastically. And man, did they eat a lot of weird food…a lot.

There were 12 workers in total making the preparations in the kitchen, 8 more cleaning the ballroom, and dozens of others were either with their owners or cleaning different parts of the house. Serena also noticed that some of the workers would disappear for a few hours before returning looking a little drained of energy.

She learnt that all owners weren't as nice as Michael had been, some of the workers being forced to wear loincloths or nothing at all, showing off their vampire bites and hideous scars. Some were beaten, others, apparently, loved dearly.

Some of the people around here were so abused that their skin was almost transparent due to malnutrition. Thick red, blue, purple, and green cuts and bruises decorated most of the people within the kitchen, most not talking to each other but shifting their eyes back and forth around the room as they worked.

Serena's heart reached out to them, trying to understand what they were going through. _How could they stay here?_ She thought to herself. _Were they so afraid that they wouldn't even try to defend themselves anymore?_

At random intervals in the day, vampires would come down, harassing each of the workers in turn, excluding Mel and herself. Some would be petty, knocking over random things within the kitchen, others would attack a worker, holding them on the ground and taking a bite from their neck.

The first time Serena had seen that she shouted at the vampire to stop, but she was ignored. Mel finally dragged her away, saying it was no use. She couldn't believe it. _These people were suffering! It was as if they were in a concentration camp!_

Every single person in the kitchen was harassed at one point or another, except for her and Mel. They were completely ignored, like they didn't exist. Although she was happy for it, she couldn't help but wonder why. When Serena asked Mel about it she replied with, "Your Jared's property now. They know not to mess with you, too afraid of what Jared would do to them."

"What about you?"

"Same thing. While Michael's away, I follow orders from Jared. Word travels fast through the castle, and if any of them mess with you, Jared will deal with them."

"I thought you said he was good?" Serena hissed, mixing the dough in her bowl.

"He is, but the vampire in him isn't. You wouldn't believe some of the things that he has done to some of these people, workers and vampires alike. He doesn't discriminate. He hates everyone equally while his virus is in control."

A tall blond vampire walked by them then, slapping one of the worker's ass non-too gently. Serena watched as the vampire walked by, winking at her seductively. "Not in a million years!" she snapped.

"I can wait," he called back.

"If you live that long!" Serena shouted.

"Serena, shut up," hissed Mel. "You may be untouchable, but that doesn't mean the rest of them are. If it was anyone but Jason that just did that they would have eaten everyone in here except for us!"

"Mel, are they really so much stronger than you? Faster? I'm sure someone must have taken them on before."

"Yeah they have, and died because of it! You are the only one that has gone toe-to-toe with a vamp and lived to tell about it! And look where that got you. You didn't even escape this place! Maybe death would have been better," Mel snapped back, chopping her cucumbers more fiercely.

"Whatever."

It felt like days before Serena was able to leave the kitchen. After their little argument, Mel made Serena peel potatoes until her fingers were blistered, and drag water to and from the greenhouse to water all the plants. One had almost tried to bite off her finger, but she had pulled back in time.

Dragging herself to her room (if it was even still was her room now), she crawled into bed, not bothering to change and fell onto the pillow. Only it wasn't a pillow in her bed, but a solid form. She winced as her body connected with it, but couldn't sit up fast enough before strong arms circled around her.

Jared pulled back the blankets and looked at her with glowing eyes. "Long day, honey?" he asked menacingly, baring pointed canines.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it. _

_If not, let me know and I will give you something incredibly delicious next._

_-Maddly Riddled_


	14. A Tumble in the Sheets

_Oh lovelies, you fill my heart with joy! :D Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE reviews! They make me so happy I just have to write more and more!_

* * *

Serena's room in the Castle, 4th floor

Serena struggled, but Jared tightened his arms and sat up, bringing her up with him, with her back to his chest. "Now, now, it wasn't that bad was it?"

"What the hell do you want now?"

"Can't I just hold you without having a reason?" he pouted, but he grinned slyly after a couple of moments.

"That's not funny," she snapped at his mocking tone.

"It's what Michael would have said to you," he said, lowering his head to her neck and inhaling deeply. "You smell great by the way."

"Don't talk about Michael!" Serena hissed, jerking her head away from him, trying to get out of his embrace. "It wasn't enough that you sent him to wherever the hell he is, you have to mock him? Who knows what he's going through right now because of you!"

"_I_ didn't send him there, the Elders sent him there. Big difference, considering I will never be an elder with my present 'condition'. And I don't mock, I impersonate," Jared said, moving his arms around her to cup each of her breasts from behind. "And I know exactly what he's going through, having been sent there once myself."

She gasped at his touch and tried to free herself from his harassment. She tried to move her hands to turn and hit him, but with the way his arms were gripping her she could barely move.

He squeezed each breast gently before trailing his hands down to her stomach, to wrap them around her again. "It's a blank void, the Abyss; time is nonexistent. You don't know if it's been two seconds or 3 months, and you're stuck, searching for something but you have no idea what it is.

"You feel so hopeless, so fearful that you will die and never see anyone ever again. Your mind seems to focus on all thoughts of despair and agony, not letting you think about anything else." As he spoke his hands began to wonder over her body, down her thigh, up her chest, over her arms.

She sat motionless, trying to pay attention to what he was saying, but the movement of his hands was sparking something within her that she couldn't seem to ignore. Serena closed her eyes, and unintentionally leaned into his touch.

"When your time is done, Chrozon comes to find you. But you run from him because you know that he's going to cause you incredible pain. It's the worst pain you'll ever know in your whole life, like a surging fire running through your veins, and you hide from him, even though experiencing the pain will ultimately bring you back to this dimension," he whispered against her neck, resting his chin against her shoulder. His hands were still for the moment, but Serena didn't say anything, happy he wasn't looking at her.

She would have actually felt sorry for him that he had to experience something like that, but knowing this vampire he probably deserved every moment of it. She wondered if the man inside was actually aware of what was going on…if there actually _was_ another side to this creature.

If he had been looking at her, she probably would have done something she would regret, but since he wasn't she felt no remorse. Or she kept telling herself that.

"But I'm not here to talk about me, or Michael, I'm here to talk about you, little Miss Gabriella Smith."

She flinched when he used her real name and drew away from him slightly, leaning upwards.

He pulled her back with a quick jerk of his arms, crushing her body against his even harder, "I looked up your real name in the system and I've noticed that you've been on the run for quite some time now. It's been what, four years? Running from the cops for murdering your parents, isn't that right? What a bad little girl you've been."

Serena felt tears pulling at the corners of her eyes, and willed herself not to cry because of him. _So much for her feeling sorry for him._ How dare he bring that up? How dare he even talk about that to her? He didn't know anything about that night, nothing about what her father had done to her mother; how he hit them, how he raped her mother right in front of her when she was younger.

Jared was just a sadistic bastard who wanted to toy with her, to see how far he could push her before she would lash out. "I didn't murder them!" she snapped, elbowing him in the gut. Jared let out a grunt but held her still once more.

"My father killed my mother in a drunken rage; all I did was self defense," she hissed over her shoulder.

"Really? Self defense by destroying the entire kitchen and half the living room?"

_He knows something_, she thought to herself. _Did he find out about my power?_ _Oh shit._

"Gabriella, I asked you a question."

"I thought it was rhetorical."

He let out a laugh. That blood-chilling laugh as he trailed a finger down her shoulder to rest on her arm. "What a firecracker you are. Full of secrets too. Fantastic. That makes it all the more fun when I find out what they are." He turned them over suddenly, so he was on top of her, straddling her hips and holding her arms above her head.

He let out a hiss of a nonexistent breath and looked up to the ceiling, still holding her in place beneath him. He shifted slightly, thrusting against her. "What a compromising situation you seem to be in," he commented nonchalantly.

"I've been in worse."

He laughed, "Of course you have. And this could be worse, if I had any intention of hurting you. Be happy that I'm not going to…yet. I just want a kiss. One kiss and you may go to sleep. One kiss and I won't bother you about any little secrets for the rest of the day."

"A whole day?" she repeated sarcastically. "Mine as well just ask me now, instead of bothering me later."

"Would you tell me now? What happened that night with your parents? Or how about, _what the hell you are?_" he asked through gritted teeth, his face now only millimeters from hers.

"You think I would tell you what I was even if I actually knew?" she glared.

"No, no I don't think you would."

"Then what the hell are you doing? Because whatever you plan to do to me just fucking do it." _Even if I had any idea why vampires seem to go so crazy over my blood, or why people feel the need to manhandle me every second they see me, or why this glowing thing comes from my body uncontrollably, there's no way in hell I would tell you! "_I don't know why you are obsessed, and I don't know why my whole house was destroyed that night."

"I think you're lying."

"I don't think I care what the fuck you think."

Jared pressed her useless hands painfully against the headboard, bending them at an angle they weren't supposed to go. Serena let out a whimper when one of them cracked, causing shooting pains to spread all the way up her arm.

"But whatever you did, it has led you here, with me," he whispered coldly against her cheek.

He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her eye, kissing away the tears that had formed there, "Just one kiss Serena and I'll bring you to get that wrist fixed."

Serena cried out when he put more pressure on her broken wrist, "You should just kill me now."

"That would just take the fun out of everything, now wouldn't it?" he sneered as he began to bend the other wrist as well.

"Just one," she breathed painfully, wrenching her uninjured wrist from his grasp and circling it around his neck, to bring his face closer to hers. But she stopped, their foreheads touching.

His hand ensnared her waist, pulling her up into him while the other entangled in her hair. He pulled it gently, but otherwise did nothing more, waiting for her to move towards him.

Their noses touched, their lips a breath away from each other, but Serena couldn't make the final move. "If this is what you call a kiss then you are surely mistaken," he smirked, his lips touching hers every time he spoke.

"Just the one kiss and you'll fix my wrist and leave me alone for a whole day?" she whispered.

"Just the one kiss gets you a healed wrist and a whole day away from me. That's one hell of a deal, coming from me," he vowed with a slight mocking tone.

She looked at him, unsure of why he wanted this. _Shouldn't he just take whatever the hell he wanted?_ She lifted a hand to his face and caressed it gently. "Why?" she whispered.

"Because I want you to."

Serena looked into his glowing eyes, and saw the burning need that he wanted to quench. He wanted blood, but he also craved more than that. He wanted what the one kiss would lead to, what he would be willing to take from her if she didn't oblige. "No."

He sighed and suddenly pushed her onto her back, leaning his forehead against the side of her face, Serena having turned away from him in the last possible second. "I guess I'll be staying the night then."

Serena turned her face to retort, but as she did he caught her mouth with his and pulled her in for a tantalizing kiss. When she didn't respond to the way he entangled his tongue with hers he growled lowly.

Not expecting the sound, she jumped, making him groan as their hips ground together. "Just one responsive kiss," he mumbled in her mouth with his eyes closed.

"No."

Jared grabbed her behind the head and pulled her so close that she felt she was melting into him.

"And why not?" Jared hissed dangerously.

"Because I know that's not really you talking, is it Jared? The vampire wants a quick fuck and he thinks I'm going to give him one, but I'm not. You can control it Jared, just try."

He pulled her hair then, forcing her head sideways, and nipped her neck, "Sorry Serena, no Jared here right now."

"I know he can hear me," she gasping in pain.

He kissed her throat; trailing light kisses down to her barely covered chest. "And what would it take for me to persuade you into a tumble in the sheets with me?"

"You can go get Michael out of that Abyss he's currently trapped in and tell the coven that I don't belong to anyone but myself, then you can let me get the fuck out of here."

Jared hissed lightly before capturing her injured wrist in his hand and placing it above her head again, "Out of the question sweet heart."

She glared up at him while his free hand pulled up the hem of her shirt, exposing the creamy skin across her stomach. He placed his hand flat over it, the coldness of his touch making her shiver slightly, and leaned over her, straddling each of her hips as he had before. "Too bad you have no chains. What am I going to use now?"

"The intestines I'm going to rip out of you!" she snapped, buckling and shaking back and forth.

He closed his eyes at her movements, "Please, keep going," he taunted. "You're giving me ideas with all the motions you're doing."

She immediately stopped and he smirked. "Suddenly shy, Serena?"

Serena turned her head away from him, hoping that he would just leave as soon as possible. If she ever talked to Jared when he wasn't completely vamped out, she would make sure that he paid for being the type of vampire that he was.

"Cat got your tongue?" he mocked. "Surprising. From what I hear you've been quite naughty with good old Michael in this very room. Did you get far? Or did he stop, saying that you should 'really get to know one another before it went any further'?" When she said nothing, he laughed. "He did, didn't he? I knew it!"

Just as she was about to deny it he continued.

"For every single girl that's happened! I think that's a grand total of 48 different girls, including you, over the past three decades he's pulled that shit on. But he eventually did fuck them, and kill them…well, most of them."

Her head snapped back to Jared, she couldn't believe it. "What?" she whispered, barely audible even to Jared's tuned ears.

"Aw, don't worry. Apparently he's not that good in the sac. You didn't miss out on much."

Serena felt a wave of anger flow through her at the thought of all those girls' deaths.

"He didn't tell you, did he? I'm sure Mel didn't either, but then again she would have no idea anyways."

"You're lying."

"Wish I was babe, but I have this thing where I just like to tell it like it is. The truth is way better than any lie I could come up with."

"He wouldn't have killed them."

"Well, three are still here. The rest were killed, or died…from blood loss if you see where I'm going with this."

Serena once again felt the familiar pull of tears in the corners of her eyes. How could this vampire keep doing this to her? She hadn't cried for years, not even at the worst comments. But she felt like she was about to almost every time she was with _him_.

"Aw, did I make you upset? I'm sorry," he said, wiping a single tear from her cheek with his thumb. He didn't sound sorry at all. He wanted her to feel pain; he wanted her to know that the more she rejected him, the more pain she felt. "If you had been found by Shane, he would have just killed you. But Michael likes to take his time with his victims, chewing away at their defenses slowly, forcing them to feel things for him, spells or no spells, doesn't really matter. He enjoys every second before finding some other playmate. Generally he'd just bite them and end their suffering, but for some reason he kept those three around…As for me? I just eat them, every single one of them willing. It's rather pathetic really, how they all want to die in the end."

A surge of anger rushed through Serena, causing a spike in the strange energy existing within her body, and her uninjured hand suddenly connected with his stomach. The blow sent him flying across the room to hit the opposite wall. She stood up from the bed in one swift motion and walked towards him. While looking down at him, she said, "I'm leaving."

Jared looked up at her in surprise before trying to scramble to his feet, but she quickly kicked him back down.

He grinned, rubbing his jaw. "Lots of fight, I like that in a woman." He stood again, this time blocking her fist, as it was about to connect to his face. "My guess is that with this crazy inhuman thing you have going for you, you have superstrength as well. Well let me tell you something," he gripped her around the waist and threw her back onto the bed, "So do I."

He rushed towards her, jumping onto her form on the bed. She rolled quickly out of the way and fell to the floor while he landed on the covers where she had just been. He let out of menacing growl and jumped towards her again. She stepped out of the way, but as he fell he grabbed her foot, pulling her down beside him.

She landed with a thud on the ground, the breath knocked out of her.

Jared used her temporary incapacitation to climb onto of her, gripping her injured wrist in his hand and pinching the sides.

She cried out and flung her leg upwards, kicking him behind the head in a feat of great flexibility.

His eyes blazed their brightest red as he glared, his lip curling slightly.

Then his lips were on hers, violently slipping his tongue between her teeth and entangling with hers. His hand gripped her waist painfully. So hard was his grip that she felt bruises already starting to form.

Jared's mouth crushed hers, molding them together despite her resisting movements. He pulled at her lower back, attempting to close the little distance between them before realizing she wasn't having any of it.

He laid down his whole weight onto her then, knocking what little breath she had regained out of her. He took the opportunity to explore every inch of her mouth, biting her bottom lip so a trail of blood escaped. He sucked it lazily before she turned her head.

"Just the one," he muttered before standing swiftly. It was like he had never been on top of her; he just looked down at her. His eyes fading from their red glow to a light sherry colour, no doubt some of the need had been quenched with that little bit of blood.

Serena breathed deeply as he kneeled down next to her and lifted her injured wrist gently. "Come, I promised a healer," he said, brushing a piece of hair from her face.

She looked at him in disbelief; he was the one that had kissed her, not the other way around like he had wanted! She hadn't even responded!

But she didn't argue when he picked her up off the floor and into his arms. If he was actually going to bring her to a healer she wasn't going to complain.

As he left the room, she clutched her injured wrist to her chest and didn't look at him. _He must be bipolar, _she thought.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed it. _

_If not, let me know and I will give you something incredibly delicious next._

_-Maddly Riddled_


	15. A Promise

_Oh lovelies, you fill my heart with joy! :D Did I ever tell you how much I LOVE reviews! They make me so happy I just have to write more and more!_

* * *

Midairne Castle

Serena was brought to a healer, as promised, but by Mel instead of Jared. He had just dumped her off at Mel's room, ordering her to be fixed up, and then left.

Mel had obliged, of course, and Serena was now sitting with said servant healer, who had been in practice for countless years now.

The healer was an old withered woman probably in her late 60's with shock white hair and gleaming yellow eyes. Her name was Edna and apparently she had been with these vampires for almost 48 years. "But back then I didn't heal as much as I do now." She laughed.

Mel and Serena said nothing as the woman began her administrations. She gently took Serena's wrist in her hands and lightly touched the break. Serena winced, but did nothing more. The old woman looked at Serena with an understanding look, "He's not always like that, deary."

"How do you even know who it was?" Serena asked.

"Everyone knows about you, Serena, and Jared for that matter. With your help, Chace was sent to Chrozon…"

"You mean by being almost killed, yeah, I'm a great help."

"Well, if he hadn't threatened your life, who knows what would have happened to the coven. Who knows how long it would have been before someone found out about Chace's plans. Then we would all most likely be dead." She spoke so casually, as if talking about the weather…, which she probably didn't even know about…had she even seen the sun recently? And it didn't sound like Edna really cared if Serena had been killed or not, whatever would benefit the coven was the old woman's top priority. But how could Serena begrudge her? This was her home after all.

When Serena didn't say anything, Edna kept going, "Then Michael Krasimir wanting you for a bride, now that's something you don't hear every day."

Serena glanced at Mel, but the other girl looked away, hiding the hurt that had sprung into her eyes. _So much for Mel being under a spell, _thought Serena. _Maybe her feelings had been real…_

"But Jared, Jared is quite the character. I was so shocked when he claimed you. And right after Michael had went through all that trouble for you to become a member!" the healer shook her head slightly. "But that's Jared for you. I met him when I first came here, in his vampire state of course, and let me tell you I still have chills when I see him because of that moment. Even after meeting him in human form, in which he is usually a very polite gentleman..."

Before the healer spoke her last word a crack was heard throughout the tiny room and Serena doubled over in pain.

"Sorry dear, it's easier to fix when you're distracted." Edna grabbed a tiny vial of red liquid from her shirt pocket and handed it to her. "You're lucky it was only a minor fracture honey, or else it would have taken hours to heal completely. As it is, just drink up and you'll be fine in just a few minutes. Did you want that cut healed as well?"

The old woman pointed to Serena's lip, and Mel's eyes widened before she quickly looked away.

"No, its fine," Serena whispered, fingering the cut from Jared's bite.

Edna smiled, and Serena nodded before leaving quickly, with Mel by her side. Edna reminded Serena of Liz in a way, how she was so willing to accept this place as her home. _Well… she had been living there for 48 years, I guess even I would consider it home,_ she thought_._

Mel didn't say anything to Serena, not a word, but led them down the corridor to the servant's quarters.

After a few moments though, "You're supposed to spend the day with me again."

"Doesn't surprise me," Serena replied, rubbing her wrist as they walked and downing the strange liquid in the vial. Immediately she felt the stress leave her body. _Wow_, she thought. _What was that?_

"Today we have to clean the upstairs…" Mel seemed strangely uncomfortable, shifting from either foot, staring at the ground.

"So?"

"…It's going to be…different…"

"Mel, are you ok? Whatever it is that's bothering you, just tell me."

"It's nothing, Serena. Just, different, without Michael around…"

Serena sighed, "I understand. He must mean a lot to you, despite everything that he's done…"

Mel distinctly ignored her and changed the topic, "So today, upstairs…" she said, breathing deeply through her nose and closing her eyes. After a moment, she stood up straighter and went to grab her supplies from the closet in the worker's hallway. "You might want these," Mel said, handing her rubber gloves.

Mel led them to a stairway, and gravelly walked up them, her steps becoming slower and shorter as they approached the top. Serena had no idea what was wrong with her. It was just cleaning…

The hallways were deserted once they reached the 3rd floor, not a vampire in sight, unlike what Serena had been thinking. The only reason she would have assumed Mel to be so shifty was if the place was crawling with vamps. As it were, there weren't any...But Mel was shaking slightly as she continued to walk down the hall.

"What time is it?" Serena whispered, afraid to disturb the strange peace throughout the floor.

"About 4am, why?"

"Are they all sleeping or something?"

"Some, but most…they're all in a theater of some sort."

"A theater...?" Serena started to ask, but Mel opened the first door on the left and walked through it.

"There shouldn't be anyone in here…"

Serena almost screamed when they entered, but Mel flung a hand over her mouth, dropping her supplies to the ground and keeping perfectly still.

There were 20 different vampires within the room, _all_ of them feeding.

They held their victims close, sucking the blood from different places all over their bodies. Serena grimaced, seeing a male vampire feed from a woman's breast. Blood leaked down from his mouth, trailing down the woman's body as she made strange noises in the back of her throat, her head thrown backwards. The woman sounded like she was enjoying it…

Everywhere there was some new and disgusting horror that Serena had to witness. There were multiple vampires feeding off one person, some vampires were having sex with their victims right in the open while drinking from them, there was even a vampire skinning the body of a man, laying the pieces on the ground to be eaten by other vampires.

Random detached body parts decorated the walls, bone and strands of skin hanging out, still attached to the chains. Fresh blood dripped down the walls, making Serena wonder where the rest of the body was... then she noticed one vampire was licking up the excess blood covering the floors.

She shivered, but no matter how horrific the scene before her, Serena couldn't tare her gaze away from them. She was transfixed on them, theses demons, so beautiful in their power, but disgusting in their thirst.

Serena almost cried out when a severed hand fell down from the ceiling to land at her feet in a bloody pile. The other vampires didn't seem to notice.

Mel suddenly pulled her around the waist, and pushed her from the room quickly. The sudden movement from the short, petite girl surprised Serena. She was a lot stronger then she looked. "They shouldn't be there, its past 3," she whispered, as affected by the sight as Serena was. She slammed the door behind her and, still holding Serena's hand, led them down the hall once again.

Serena was in shock. Jared's blood room had been scarring, but that…that was different. They were _skinning_ people alive! "Mel…what was…what the hell?"

"It's a feeding room," Mel attempted to explain.

"Yeah, I kinda figured. But _what the hell_?"

"Not all vampires are like that…"

"Yeah, so I've been hearing, but not really seeing!"

"Serena, the nice vampires aren't exactly willing to talk to the people that could set off the virus! But there are those vampires that just don't care, the sick and twisted ones in _there_, for example.

"When Drake became leader of the council he designated different rooms for vampires to be able to still do their practices, away from the eyes of those that opposed it without being rid of it completely…"

"Which I don't know why anyone would be opposed," sneered an unknown voice behind them. "But Drake is willingly to accommodate for _all_ of the undead."

Mel gasped and spun around.

The vampire before them looked strangely familiar; he was about 6 feet tall with dark hair and even darker taunting eyes. He smirked down at them and Serena realized where she had seen him. It was the man that had followed Merishka, the redheaded elder, out of the Judgment room.

"Nikolas," Mel sneered, hatred dripping from every pore in her body. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Maybe. But if I was I wouldn't have run into your intoxicating company," he said in a taunting voice. "And I see you have a friend. How nice."

"She's Jared's, Nikolas, no touching remember?" snapped Mel, blocking Serena by stepping in front of her. Like that would do much good, Serena was 4 inches taller than her.

"But she's so," he eyed Serena up and down lustfully. "Delicious. And she smells even better. No wonder Jared stole her right from under Michael. Why wouldn't he? She's probably even better writhing under a body, in the sheets, screaming…"

"You're rambling," Mel snapped. "And you haven't even tried her. You don't know what she is like; maybe you should stick with things you know are to your liking, like say, your hand."

"Ouch Melissa, you wound me!" he snickered, clutching his heart. "But there's always time to try out a new toy. How about I just take her off your hands for a couple of hours? Hmm?" he asked, striding towards them and pulling Serena out from behind Mel by the elbow. He jerked her towards him and leered down at her. "I bet you know all kinds of tricks now that you've been with Jared."

Serena turned away at his gaze in disgust. Although he could have been attractive, his leering sneer creeped her out. There was something in his smile and burning red eyes that made her want to run as far away from him as fast as she possibly could.

"You'll never know now will you? If Jared found out that you fed from her he'd feed you to the Cannibals," argued Mel, gripping Serena's other arm, eyeing her then Nikolas before looking back at Serena. A brief look of worry crossed her features before it disappeared.

"But if she was worth it, it wouldn't matter…" Nikolas whispered; caress Serena's cheek with a calloused finger.

"But what if she isn't, are you willing to die for that? Do something that won't get you killed."

"Would you be willing to offer yourself in her place, Mel?" he laughed. "If I remember correctly, you were quite the fighter, and you just kept screaming his name over and over again to save you. He couldn't hear you though, could he? He didn't care at all."

"As I recall you asked me to scream," taunted Mel. "And to beg and to kneel down in front of you. What a dominatrix you want to be, must be because you're just a fucking lapdog around here…"

Before Mel could finish, Nikolas had let go of Serena and grabbed Mel by her shoulders, slammed her into the nearest wall face first.

"Did I hit a nerve Nicky? Isn't that what _she_'s calling you now?" Mel asked, referring to Merishka, the Elder. "Or was it Snikkypums? Either or it means you have a small dick," she continued, her laugh somewhat muffled by the wall pressed up against her face.

Serena had been slowly moving towards him to strike him across the back of the head, but the vampire flung his arm around and struck her across the face. She fell to the floor, somewhat dazed. Where were her powers?

Nikolas slapped Mel before pulling out a dagger from his pocket and forcing her head to hit the wall again. He pulled her back to him, "So you want another round, huh? Well, consider me game," he hissed, slicing a deep cut down her cheek before pulling Mel into the nearest room and locking the door behind him.

Serena ran towards it just as he was closing the door and hit the closed door in frustration. "Mel!"

Fear raced through Serena, causing her to panic and breathe in shallow breaths. _What was he going to do to Mel? Why the hell did she rile up that vampire? To keep him away from me?_ Serena banged on the door, slapping and kicking it urgently.

Mel screamed from behind it and Serena threw her body against the door. It didn't budge. "Mel!" she screamed. The other girl's screams were getting louder and more helpless.

_Jared,_ she immediately thought. She, Mel, Alyssa, and Liz all belonged under Jared's control right? Well, a slave was being mistreated; he had to help them…right? Serena didn't even think about what would happen if Jared didn't care, he had to, and she ran off to find him.

_Where would he be? _She had no idea where she was, or how to get anywhere, not that she even knew where he could possibly be.

She basically went back to the stairs and to the worker's corridor before racing to the main hall. Should she just cause a scene? He would come for sure then…

"David!" she shouted, seeing the buff vampire from across the entranceway. "Where's Jared?"

Serena bolted towards him, almost stumbling over the carpet to reach him.

"Serena? What are you doing?" he asked, completely confused, "I'm surprised you're even alive!"

"I can talk about that later, I need you to help me! Some vamp named Nikolas has Mel! He locked her in a room with him and," she gasped for air, "I don't know what he's doing, but she's screaming, she's hurt! Please, please help me! She's on the third floor in a room right by the worker's stairs. I don't know how long she has!"

"Serena," he said, gripping her shoulders, shaking her slightly to get her to focus. "You need to find Jared. He's in the garage just before the stairs down to the Council. You remember where Liz took you?"

Serena nodded.

"Good, the door just after the stairs leads into the garage. Jared's there, get him to come upstairs. I will try to talk to Nikolas but I can't do anything for her until I have Jared's permission."

Serena nodded again and sprinted towards the garage. David didn't waste any time either, climbing the stairs two at a time.

She ripped open the door to the garage, unknowingly off its hinges in her desperation, and entered, barely noticing the mystical energy surging through her veins. She was somewhat taken aback by the size of the area and all the cars…very expensive cars, but she only faltered slightly before running towards the back where she could see a car suspended straight ahead. "Jared!" she shouted.

A loud clank sounded, as well as a curse, and Jared rolled out from under the car. He stood and Serena watched as his eyes went from their bright blue to a fire red. "What do you want?" he asked, changing right in front of her.

Serena let go of the breath she had drawn in at seeing his eyes, "Jared! Please, you have to help me. Some vampire named Nikolas is torturing Mel! They were baiting each other, but she was only trying to get him away from me! Then he grabbed her and is doing god knows what to her right now! Please we have to help her!"

Jared didn't say anything, but dropped the oil-stained towel in his hands to the floor and looked at her. "You want me to go help her?"

"Yes!" she shouted as if he were slow. "He's killing her! Raping her! Feeding off her! Who knows what else, but it isn't good! She's your responsibility until Michael gets back, you have to help her!"

Jared sighed with a glint of humor in his eyes, "And why should I help her when she baited him into it? He's clearly the victim here."

_He had to be joking, _she thought. A look of disbelief, shock, and anger crossed her face. "Jared, she temporarily belongs to you! Isn't it against the coven law or whatever for another vampire to do anything to another's possessions without permission?"

"Only if that vampire chooses to press charges, which I don't see a reason for me to do…"

Serena couldn't believe him. She was about to cry in frustration. "Jared, he is _killing _her! Would you react the same if he was doing that to me?"

Jared frowned, losing the shimmer of amusement in his red eyes and they dimmed slightly. "You're different. She's not exactly mine. I'm just watching her for the time being."

"I can't believe you!" she hissed, stepping closer to push against his chest, glaring up at him. "You would let her die because she doesn't belong to you?"

He wiped the dirt from his hands on his even dirtier jeans. Serena realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. "I don't even know if you're telling the truth Serena. And like I said, I need some _incentive _to go help her." His eyes traveled down her body pointedly.

Serena's eyes widened in realization, "You're not going to go help her until I promise to have sex with you?" she hissed angrily.

He shrugged indifferently. "Not right now, but a promise for later."

She couldn't believe him. "She's bleeding to death and you won't help her unless I just give up my body to you?"

"Pretty much, and better make up your mind, she could be dead already."

She let out a breath and tried to calm her anger. Was she willing to give herself to the devil for Mel? Mel had been nice to her, somewhat, and she didn't deserve everything she was forced to do here…but even if she did deserve it Serena wouldn't have let her suffer like that. No one should have to face the kind of torture Nikolas was no doubt doing to her. "I promise," she whispered, stepping away from him.

"You promise to what?" he taunted, stepping back towards her.

"I promise that you can do whatever the hell you want to me _after_ you help Mel."

He grinned down at her evilly, eyes blazing fiercely. He gripped her chin roughly, and pulled her face to his. "Ok, but remember your words Serena. I can do _whatever the hell I want _and I'll make sure he never touches her again," he said, nipping her bottom lip. And with that he strode from the garage, and up the stairs.

"3rd level from the worker's stairs!" she shouted after him. "David will already be there!"

Serena ran to catch up with him, but his long legs were pulling him further and further away. At least he had agreed to get Mel, but what was it going to cost her? She had promised anything.

* * *

_;P Leave you wanting more._

_-Maddly Riddled_


	16. Two Sides

_Here you go my lovelies._

* * *

Midairne Castle

_Serena ran to catch up with him, but his long legs were pulling him further and further away. At least he had agreed to get Mel, but what was it going to cost her? She had promised anything._

She regretted her words almost immediately. She should have thought it through to say it in some way that she could get out of. What if she just broke her word?

By the time Serena managed to make it to the third floor she was gasping for air. David stood there, waiting by the closed door with his arms folded.

"What happened?" she breathed.

"Jared's in there. Just pushed me aside and rushed in. Locked the door behind him too."

"Is Mel still there? Is she ok?" Serena hoped to God she was ok; she didn't just feed herself up like a dish so Mel would die in the end.

"Serena, I don't know," said David, looking at her with a worried glance. "I came as fast as I could. I tried unlocking the door, but Nik had some type of spell around it. I tried talking to him, but that just made her scream louder. I don't know what he did, or what they're all doing right now."

"How did Jared get in?"

"Mel belongs to him for the time being, anywhere she is he's allowed to go. Magic or no magic."

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"What is he gonna do? Probably kill her and say Nik did it, in his current state. His eyes were burning when he got up here, who knows what the hell is going through that young blood's mind."

"Yeah, he changed as soon as he saw me in the garage," she whispered, looking away from him.

David sighed, "It happens."

"But not to you. You don't even drink fresh blood anymore, or so I hear."

He nodded solemnly, "You heard right."

"How do you control it?"

"Serena, I've lived a long time. I mean, a very _long_ time, all of the Elders have, or else they wouldn't be called Elders."

Serena couldn't tell if he was teasing her or being serious…

He grinned, "But we've all found things throughout our lifetimes that help us manage the thirst. We've found other ways to calm down the virus, that way it never emerges."

"Without hurting people?"

"Some of us without hurting people, others…not so much," he replied. "Actually, with how I manage to control it, most say it's a very pleasurable experience."

Serena would have laughed if she weren't so high strung from Mel's current predicament. She could only imagine what David was talking about. "What is he doing in there?" she muttered.

David didn't say anything, but frowned at the door and waited.

Minutes ticked by and nothing could be heard on the other side of the door. No talking, no fighting, no screaming…which either meant Jared had stopped Nikolas or Mel was…Serena didn't want to think about it. Jared had better save her.

The door suddenly opened and Jared emerged carrying an unconscious form. The figure was so bloody; it was impossible to tell who was under it. Their skin, hair and half ripped clothing was stained with the substance. It also looked like one of their legs was broken.

Serena gasped when she realized that it was Mel.

Her face was badly bruised; deep slashes across the girl's face, bite marks seen on almost every inch of her skin. "Is she…?"

"Get her to Edna," demanded Jared, gently handing Mel over to David, who was waiting with outstretched arms. At David's look he added, "Please, sir," with a distinctly mocking air. It seemed that even though David was above Jared in status, Jared still felt he was superior.

"What about Nikolas?" David asked with a raised brow.

"I won't be pressing charges," Jared stated.

"What?" Serena practically shrieked.

"Believe me. He won't ever think of you or her again," Jared sneered down at her.

She drew back from him slightly. He was terrifying. He was too big for his own good and when every single piece of his sculpted body radiated an undying hatred, he was truly horrific. _What had he done to Nikolas?_

Serena forced herself to look away from him and watched as David carried Mel back to the healer on the 1st floor.

A large hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around. "As for your promise, _after_ is right now."

Serena yanked herself from his grasp and stepped away, "And I say after is later."

She gasped when he pulled her flush against him, fingers digging into her upper arms painfully. She winced but didn't look away.

"You promised to do _whatever _I wanted, Serena. So you can either do as I say or I can force you, which would make things that much worse for you," he growled to her.

When she flinched away from him he drove her back into the wall, knocking out the air from her lungs. Hoping to somehow manage to shove him away from her, she gripped his arms. He didn't budge.

"Where's all that super strength, Serena? I thought you had more in you."

Serena whined in frustration, no matter how much she tried to push him away, he was like a cement wall. "It seems I can't just do it whenever I want!"

"Aw, what a pity. It would have been more fun to have to fight to have you. But as it is, that can wait for another time. I want you right now," he declared, pushing her roughly into the room he had just pulled Mel from.

She stumbled, but caught herself. When Jared didn't immediately jump her she turned to find him. She let out a small scream as she caught sight of the room. It was no doubt another feeding room, but only capable of occupying a couple of people.

Fresh blood coated the walls like fresh paint, dripping over the once blue wallpaper. The floor was littered with ripped clothing and pieces of leftover rotting skin. Serena felt herself throw up in her mouth and covered it, somewhat stopping the release of contents in her stomach.

The smell throughout the room overpowered her as well; blood, rotting flesh, sex and gasoline. There was a single mattress on the floor off to the right in the corner, but it was shredded, flat and stained with black blood.

Her breath came out in gasps when she noticed a single set of chains hanging down from the ceiling, barely allowing the person currently in them to stand.

Nikolas hung there, naked, and covered in black, oil like liquid. Both of his broken arms supported his unconscious weight, twisting so that his elbow bones stuck out from his skin. Three giant slashes oozed black, shinny fluid across his face, dripping onto his marred chest where a gaping hole was located.

His rib cage was visible through hanging fragments of skin, the muscles underneath clenching when he twitched slightly.

Serena turned to run when she hit Jared's form. He had removed his shirt while she stared at the hanging body, baring his wide expanse of chest. She didn't realize she had been crying until he rubbed a tear from her face with his thumb gently.

"I told you he would never think of you again."

"Is he…how could you?"

"How could I? How _could _I? You wanted Mel to be saved, this way I've guaranteed he'll never touch her again. Or you," he hissed.

She turned her face away from him, but he forced it back with his hand on her chin. "I didn't mean for you to do this," she whispered.

"And what did you want me to do?" he asked dangerously quiet, his hand still holding her chin as his other arm came to snake around her waist.

"To take Mel away from him and charge him! To have let the council deal with him!"

"I don't know what delusions you have about vampires, Serena, but we aren't the nice little brooding pig drinking suckers you see on TV. We are soulless, We are ruthless, and when someone wants to start a war they had better be prepared for the consequences. Nikolas knew that, and now he's suffered."

"It's wrong," she barely whispered.

He looked down at her, his lip curling in disgust. He threw her away from him. She landed on a heap on the floor, and stared up at him in shock, tears still flowing from her eyes.

Jared let out a frightening growl and turned away from her, breathing deeply. "Even when you are painstakingly pathetic I want you! You're turning my mind into a deathtrap! Setting off mines in my head! It burns and it aches!"

With an inhuman speed he was kneeling beside her, cupping her face in both his hands. She hiccupped, noting that his eyes were their true blue color once again. "You're doing this to me; I've never ever lost so much control before in my entire immortal life. You are something of dangerous wonder, my siren. You leave my veins boiling, my heart imploding."

_He was rambling_, she thought to herself fearfully. He really did have something wrong with him.

She gasped when his lips crashed to hers, just tasting them before he pulled away to reveal burning red eyes. He roared and knocked her to the floor, straddling her hips and holding her hands as she struggled.

His head shook back and forth, and Serena watched, trembling, thinking that his two sides seemed to be fighting with each other.

The non-vampire Jared won, and he looked at her, his eyes the color of an ocean storm, and breathed haggardly. "I'm sorry," he whispered, getting off her quickly. "Leave, now, please. Don't let me find you."

Serena stared up at him, unsure of whether to move or not.

"Get out!" he shouted.

She didn't need to be told again, she jumped up and ran from the room.

* * *

_So...what's the verdict for Jared? _

_People liking him? Not liking him? Think he's a complete whackjob? _

_I wanna know!_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	17. Somewhere to Hide

_So, I'm sorry these last two chapters have been quite short, but I will definitely make up for it later._

* * *

In A Room-3rd Floor

Jared was left on his knees on the mattress, gripping the pillow underneath him and gulping in deep breaths. Even though Serena had left the room, he could still sense her presence, he could almost taste it. He felt his veins burn as _the vampire_ rushed through his system, pushing to take over. He was overcome by her smell, her delicious smell. It lingered throughout the room, trapping him without a means of escape.

He had to get this under control. He had to push back against _the vampire_. He had to figure out why this was happening to him. "Drake," he gritted through his teeth. _He'll know._

Yet _the vampire_ whispered to him, told him to run after Serena and finish what it had tried to start. It wanted her, all of her. The blood pumping through her veins called to him, urged him to follow her, to hunt her. She was like a sick drug; something the _vampire _couldn't get enough of. His own special addiction.

Her taste was still hidden in the folds of his mouth and his tongue flicked back and forth, wanting to savor it as much as possible. Every little drop had him and _the vampire_ purring with pleasure. It gave him a surging adrenaline rush, pumping through his body and making him feel that he could never get enough of it.

This had never happened to him before, _Ever._ Not to him. Maybe there were certain events in history where vampires had desired a certain mortal's blood, which made these mortals capable of provoking such a reaction in vampires, but it wasn't anything that he had heard of. It wasn't anything that was common either.

He stood shakily, still trying to keep himself under control. He needed to find Drake. Right. Now. He could feel his identity slowly ebbing away as _the vampire_ moved closer to the forefront of his mind once again.

Nikolas groaned from his hanging position and _the vampire_ suddenly snapped away into an unconscious part of his mind, hidden for the time being. Jared spared the younger vampire a look. With a sigh, he uncuffed Nikolas's wrists, catching him before he hit the ground. "Hey man, you ok?"

Nikolas let out a snort, but stopped, shouting out in pain. "Fuck! That hurts."

Jared gently laid him down on the ground.

"I hate it when you change, Jared. It always seems that when you turn, I end up ripped open."

"Maybe if you weren't such an ass that wouldn't be the case. Besides, not every time I change. This has only happened twice before in the 113 years you've been alive."

Nikolas coughed, and grasped his gaping chest.

"Just give it a little longer, the healing should kick in soon," mumbled Jared. "Do you want me to find Merishka, your sire?"

"NO!" snapped Nikolas, some of his skin was already re-growing itself. "She'll just baby me."

"More so then she already does?"

Nikolas snorted again. "What is that _girl_ to you that your _vampire _is willing to risk Merishka's anger by saving her friend?"

"I don't know," Jared whispered. Talking with Nikolas had shut up the other side of him for now; and with her smell slowly fading away, he felt more at ease, like himself.

"Well when you find out, get it fucking fixed," Nik snapped, the muscles in his chest flexing as they re-stitched themselves.

Jared stood, "Don't touch her again," he warned. "Or Mel."

"Not fucking likely. I don't want ever want to see those whores again."

"And don't let me hear you talking about them like that or that you're playing with other people's slaves, Nikolas."

"Fuck you."

Jared kicked the other vampire in the face, "Asshole." And with that he left, to find the leader of the elders.

* * *

_3rd Floor_

Serena ran blindly from the room. She didn't know where she was going, but she kept running. She glanced behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed, but there was no one. There was no one anywhere. She was alone.

As soon as she reached the 'safety' of the worker's quarters, she stopped. Without the momentum carrying her forward, she fell to the ground uselessly. Gentle hiccups rocked her body as she sat there, suddenly overcome by everything that had happened to her. It was getting to be too much.

Sure, a vampire being real was a little mind boggling, but expected. Hadn't everyone at one point really wondered if they were out there? Her powers, which were a little more difficult to deal with considering she had no idea what they actually did, why she had them, or how to control it, she could manage with that extra tidbit in her life. However, people being kept as slaves just to be massacred in front of her later was too much! She was falling over the edge, and she had a feeling it was going to be a long way down.

She wanted to leave and never come back, she _needed _to leave and never come back. But how?

Serena looked around, wiping away her tears angrily, before standing. Crying would get her nowhere, and so would running away. They would be after her in a second. Jared wouldn't let her just leave. Maybe there some way she could manipulate him into letting her go? No doubt someone had tried that, which most likely ended in a horrible death for them, but should she still try? Maybe death would be better than being stuck in this hellhole.

She groaned as she tried to take in her surroundings, she had no idea where she was. Somewhere in the worker's quarters, for sure, but she had never been in this area before. If she doubled back, took a left…no that wasn't anywhere... Ok, so she was lost. Again. At least if she were lost there would be less chance of a certain someone, who was sort of crazy, finding her.

What was the plan for her here anyways? Why was he keeping her here? What did he want? Well, he was psychotic, who knew what the hell he wanted. Maybe he didn't even know what he wanted.

What was he going to force her to do? What type of life was he going to make her lead? Cleaning like Mel and Liz? Where the only success she could ever possibly have was to be the best organizer of humans for more cleaning? A slave? Being fed off of whenever Jared felt hungry? There had to be more, there had to be…

Serena's head snapped in the direction of voices. People were approaching, quickly. She stood and opened the nearest door, looking in before hiding herself. It was just a regular supply closet, hopefully safe. She closed the door and pressed her ear against it.

"He's preoccupied, Kiki. The smaller covens have been under attack for weeks now. No doubt he's playing the great Elder now and ordering about people to help them," said a male voice, talking to the girl from the party named Kiki. Serena remembered her. She had the long blond raccoon streaked hair with a thin frame.

"Brett! I can't! You know that. If he ever found out he would kill me!"

Brett…the vampire who had interrupted her beating of Shane? The one who followed Drake out of the council with the dark sweep bangs and random streaks of blond. He also had the eyebrow and lip piercings.

"He wouldn't. You do too much for him," Brett said. They were right outside the door. Who was this _he_ they were referring to?

"Brett, I lov…" she was cut off. There was a sudden bang against the door making Serena jump. But they weren't trying to force their way in. She could only guess what they were doing when she heard the lip smacking. These vampires were all somehow fucked in the head.

Now she would have to wait for them to be finished to leave…

"Hey!" shouted a familiar female voice. "You have rooms to do that in!"

Brett pulled away from Kiki quickly, "Liz! Aren't there better things for you to be doing?"

"Brett, you, unlike me, have a room, all to yourself. Please make use of it. I don't clean it for nothing," Liz scolded. It sounded like she could have had her hands on her hips.

The door shook slightly as their weight lifted off of it. "Whatever Liz," mumbled Brett as they walked down the hallway.

They actually let Liz talk to them like that? She had that much control over everything here? Just a mere slave girl?

The door suddenly opened and Liz looked to Serena, huddled against the side of the door. "Serena?" she asked in surprise. "What are you doing in there?"

"I…uh…well..."

"Never mind, I don't want to know," Liz muttered. "Are you looking for something?"

"Um…I'm just looking for a good place to hide…"

"OK, well, follow me. I'll bring you somewhere that they'll never guess to look."

Serena smiled, "Thanks Liz."

"No problem."

Serena followed Liz out of the closet and down the hall. "So, where are we going exactly?"

"Somewhere where the vampires can't go," replied Liz over her shoulder with a slight smile. She stopped in front of a locked door. Pulling out a key from her pocket, she unlocked the door. "Go ahead; I have work that I have to do, but I'll come get you when it's dark. No doubt Jared will be fine by then."

Serena looked from the dark room to Liz. "You sure I'll be ok in there?"

"Yeah, just go through the next door and you'll be fine."

Serena looked from the dark, dank, very suspicious looking room to Liz, "Um…ok?"

Liz smiled, "I'll see you later."

Serena kept looking at the room. It was fucking creepy, but Liz said it was safe…She walked in and opened the next door. A burning ray of sunshine hit her face in full force. She winced from its brightness. The sun. She couldn't believe it. How could she not have thought about hiding here?

"Serena?" a voice whispered from the corner.

Serena twisted around to see a figure hiding in the corner, in the shadows. Their head rose slightly and Serena gasped when she saw who it was, "_Lana_?"

* * *

_A non-existent cookie for your thoughts? If you have the time I would love a review. :D _

_By the way, I'm liking that new people have reviewed! _

_SoldierDudette: There will for sure be much more of Jared (both sides of Jared...all sides of Jared ;) to be seen. General feedback from people is that they all want to see more of him in the story. So no doubt there will also be a lot more interactions between Jared and Serena as well :D But btw the whole story is already planned out, so what people expect and what they will get might differ...:S I still hope that people will like it though!_

_hellgurl911: I'm happy you did make time to write a review for me. It does make my life hearing everyone's opinions. And since they all seem to be great reviews I'm even happier! lol And vampires are supposed to be crazy! Although I do __**love**__ Twilight, vampires were supposed to be scary and bloodthirsty, in my opinion. Some are consumed by the evil (You'll be introduced to some of them later), while others somehow manage (aka David). I promise to try and make it easier for people to remember who certain characters are with a little more description about them when they come back into the story! And I love Jared too :)_

_Thanks so much for reviewing!_


	18. Oh My

_Here you go my lovelies._

* * *

A Random Sunroom in the Worker's Quarters

"Serena," breathed Lana, struggling to her feet, clutching the wall for support.

"I thought he killed you!" Serena cried out, rushing towards her only friend.

The petite brunette, that had been her roommate before this whole vampire thing, remained hidden in the shadows.

"Lana, what happened?" Serena asked, reaching out to touch her friend's shoulder.

Lana flinched away, baring her two-inch eyeteeth.

"No," Serena whispered, stepping back into the sunlight.

"He turned me, Serena, he brought me back. I'm…I'm a…vamp…vam…"

"Vampire," finished Serena.

"He put me in here, left me to die," Lana sobbed.

Serena rubbed the tears from her own eyes, "Lana, who?"

"Shane," the girl whispered, sliding down the wall.

She stepped closer to her once living friend, "How long have you been here?"

"As long as you have,"

"That's 4 nights!" Serena stepped closer to Lana to kneel down beside her in the partial shadow. She remembered. Michael had her for 3 days, some of that with her unconscious, and she had been with _him_ for 2 days.

"5 incredibly long days," Lana whispered, looking at Serena with glazed over eyes. "5 days, 4 nights; no food, no water…no _blood_…"

Lana suddenly lunged at Serena, gripping her neck with the strength of a brand new red-eyed vampire. "So hungry!"

Serena flailed against Lana, clawing at her hands while trying to move backwards. Moving just an inch, Serena hit the light and Lana screamed as the sun's rays hit her preserved skin. The light burned the vampire's flesh, smoking and singeing the pale skin.

Lana wailed and huddled back into the shadows, holding her blistered and sizzling arms against her chest.

"Is Lana even in there?" sneered Serena as she stood over the crying, bloodthirsty vampire from the safety of the sunlight.

"Oh, it's her alright," said Shane's voice behind her.

The door she had entered through now encompassed Shane's lean form. He frowned, his strong jaw jutting outward slightly. But he didn't seem to look the same as before. Although he still had the spiked brown hair and light brown eyes, his posture had changed. His demeanor had changed as well. He wore the same ripped jeans but with a dark blue button up shirt instead of a baggy black sweater, and the strange glint from his eyes that he had before was gone. He seemed to look more sophisticated, somehow, but not any less dangerous. She knew that the slightest thing could set off any vampire…

"Shane!" shouted Lana from her corner of shadows. "Please, let me eat, please."

"You just had a bucket of pig's blood and you're still thirsty?" Shane asked disgustedly, not moving an inch.

"She claimed you hadn't fed her for 5 days," frowned Serena.

Shane laughed humorlessly. "She would have said that. She's always been a liar."

"Hey!" shouted Serena; "She wasn't this way before _you_ turned her."

"Before I turned her she was worse! Now, instead of thinking of different ways to completely fuck up people's lives, she thinks of food, blood, and the thirst. The virus is a fucking picnic compared to how she was."

"Fucking liar," hissed Serena. "She might have made some mistakes, but she was a good person inside. Now you've changed her, and she's this." Lana whimpered as she rubbed her slowly healing hands.

"Serena, I know she was your friend, but come on, you should know that she's never been a _good _person."

"So, what? You thought she deserved to be punished?"

"No, I would have just eaten her. Michael insisted that you would have wanted her around…"

"Michael told you to _turn_ her?" Serena couldn't believe this. "What? Please repeat that for me, I don't think I quite understood you."

"_I turned her,_" he repeated, very slowly, stepping partway into the room where the shadows still lied.

"You were her boy toy for a few minutes, just to eat her I imagine, then I showed up and spoiled the fun. So Michael told you to change her and you brought her here to kill her anyways! With starvation!"

"Well, I really just wanted to eat her, but Michael said she might have meant something to you, so he asked me to change her that night you barged in. I did, albeit unwillingly, and I've been keeping her in here. Newborn vampires are dangerous, even to their own kind," he said casually, his hands in her pockets. "Also, she would eat all our workers if I let her out."

"So you're just keeping her trapped here?"

"I don't think you're quite getting the dangerous part…"

"She'll only suffer the virus if she _doesn't drink_, which you are neglecting to give to her!"

Shane snorted, "I've been giving her buckets and buckets of pig's blood every three hours for five days. Her thirst is all she's thinking about at this moment, and quenching it. Considering the fact that you are the only pulsating blood around here I would get as far away from her as you can."

"She's not going to try again…"

Serena suddenly felt something hit her from behind, forcing her into Shane who still stood in the doorway across the room. They all fell into the next room, away from the sunlight.

Lana burned and smoked from her exertion through the sunroom, flailing over them, twisting and turning in hopes to bring herself closer to Serena's neck.

Shane shouted at her incoherently, trying to pull Lana off of them, but Lana didn't stop. He got a grip on her and threw the bloodthirsty vampire from them, hurriedly pulling Serena to the side. Lana pounced to them again, but Shane hit her to the side of the head. She fell and almost immediately sprung back up. "So hungry!" she growled. Shane jumped up and met Lana in the air, a loud crack sounding throughout the hallway as they collided. They exchanged a blow before Shane could hold her off. She snapped her jaws viciously at Serena but could do no more while Shane was still holding her back.

Strong arms pulled Serena further away from her. She gasped '_Jared?' _ craned her neck and noticed David standing there behind her, "Get her out of here Shane!"

Shane struggled with the ever-fighting Lana, but he eventually threw her back into the sunroom and closed the door behind him.

"She's in a very unstable stage of the changing process, I wouldn't worry though. I know she won't become a cannibal…" David said.

"What?" whispered Serena hoarsely. _A cannibal!_

"You know when people are bitten they have to drink the blood of their sires?"

Serena nodded.

"Well, when they are turning they have to go through stages. The first is the most crucial. Newborn vampires crave blood. Lots of it. But if they are allowed to let the thirst consume them they become those cannibals you have been hearing so much about. If, however, they are controlled then they can learn to adapt to the virus. Manage it, somewhat."

"I thought that vampires became the type of vampire that bit them?" Serena asked, thinking back to what Mel had told her.

"Yes and no. There are many variables involved, most of which aren't even known to us vampires."

"So, if newborn vampires aren't controlled it overtakes them, right? Makes the virus control their every action? Brings out the worst parts of the person they were before."

"Exactly," David said with a frown. "How do you know that?"

"Mel and Jared filled me in…somewhat." Serena's eyes widened in realization, "How is Mel?"

"She's fine. All healed, but resting," David answered stepping away from her to lean on the wall. He rubbed a hand over his face in exhaustion and looked at her with red glowing eyes.

"David!" she screamed in fear, flinching away from him.

"What?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact that his eyes were burning fiercer then she had ever seen in any other vampire.

"Your eyes! Are you alright?"

"Serena, I'm fine," said David, looking at her like _she _was the crazy person.

"You don't…you aren't going to try and bite me or something?"

He laughed, "Didn't they tell you about me?"

"Yeah, that you don't drink people and you've found some other outlet so your virus never springs forth but…your eyes are _glowing!"_

"So?"

"Meaning that you should be going crazy with bloodlust right now!"

"Well, I am, just not for yours." At her disbelieving look he laughed again. "Serena, believe it or not, not all the vampires here will crave your blood. Most, but not all. And I'm not one of them."

"Why not?"

"How very pompous of you," David laughed. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure all the straight vampires desire you," he added sarcastically with a wink.

"Straight?"

He laughed again. "Yeah…heterosexual, Serena, look it up."

"I know what straight is, I guess I'm asking if you aren't…?"

"I'm not. Haven't been for over a decade now. Finally came out of the closet. No women, or mortal slave meat sacks either. No offense."

"Oh…well. That's cool I guess…"

"You seem shocked," he commented as they began to walk down the hallway.

"Well I am. I didn't think that you were."

"Is it a problem?"

"No, of course not. It's just…" Serena laughed, "I don't know. Different, I guess."

"As long as you don't try to kill me because of it."

"Never," Serena replied, somewhat appalled. "I would never kill you because you were gay. If you were trying to kill me, however, then you're dust. Wait, do vampires even turn to dust?"

"Not exactly."

Serena wasn't aware of where they were going, but she didn't really care. She felt safe, and quite content, even though she had just almost been eaten…again. "I'm guessing vampires aren't very open minded either."

"Oh no, their open minded, extremely so. Vampires are probably the most versatile and creative creatures, but my story is complicated."

"I have time."

"Maybe some other time Serena," David said, steering them towards the kitchens. "Right now, I'm just really hungry."

"You sure you're not going to bite me?"

"I'm positive."

"Then why does everyone else want to?"

David stopped and sighed, "It's the way it smells. The way vampires sense the blood through your system, it's…" David took a huge sniff of air, "It's like your blood smells of what vampires' most desire for themselves. I smell honey and Baileys, while Lana could have just smelled the iron in it. That is what she most desires in her ever-changing state, and therefore she smells it. That is what draws vampires to you. You are what they want most."

Serena thought about what he said. If all vampires smelled what they most desired from her blood then why was it that he didn't want to drink hers? Maybe he had a stronger sense of self-control then all the others. He must really not want to eat people.

"How is Jared different? Apparently he has just as much control as you do…until he sees me."

"Yes. Although Jared is capable of massive amounts of restraint when it comes to his virus, you seem to bring out the vampire in him. I have my theories of why, but until I can prove them I'd rather keep them to myself."

"Um…sure…?"

"Here," he said, opening the door to the right of the worker's kitchen, "Mel's in there. Just give Liz a ring through the phone if you need anything."

"Thanks David."

"Later, kid."

* * *

_Make way for the jam-packed awesomeness coming up!_

_-Maddly Riddled_


	19. Tell Me About It

_Short Chapter, but I've lost motivation without all the lovely reviews! :( _

_But because of the support I have received from previous chapters, the next chapter will be up very soon!_

* * *

Midairne Library

Jared had made it to the 4th floor of the castle, where Drake's room was located, but he couldn't find him there. "Shit," Jared cursed, pacing. Where would the Elder be at such a time?

Who knew? Drake was a strange, vindictive and unpredictable vampire. Ever since the Elder had found out that his old girlfriend was the psycho angel eliminating the Elders one by one he hadn't been the same carefree guy. And that was almost five decades ago. But Drake was still a good leader, even if he did have random bursts of aggression towards anyone who was around him.

_The library_, Jared thought suddenly. He would surely be there, in his study, going over combat plans for the war.

Jared hurried through the twists and turns of the hallways to the third floor, where the Elder's own personal office resided. He was about to knock on the door when he heard hushed voices from behind it.

"Drake, she's dangerous! The things I saw in her head! She isn't human! Not even slightly," said a hysterical woman's voice. _Jadis_, Jared thought, one of the female Elders with a young, round face, dark hair and stunning blue eyes. The one that had read Serena's mind. "Chace was right. She could turn on us if they find her here, if they get her on _their _side. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Jared couldn't hear Drake's response, if he responded at all. But Jadis soon began again, "That girl could do anything! I do _not_ want a repeat of what happened with Amik…"

A loud bang was heard on the other side of the door. Drake wasn't pleased with where the conversation was leading. Amik had been Drake's former love, the one that killed three of the Elders.

"When you're ready to talk you know where I'll be," Jadis said angrily, wrenching the door open. "Oh, Jared. What are you doing here?"

Jared bowed his head, "Elder Jadis."

Jadis curtsied back while closing the door quickly.

Jared spoke, "Well, I was going to talk to Drake…"

"I don't think that would be a wise choice at the moment," Jadis said with a sympathetic smile. "Maybe I can help you?"

"Perhaps…I was just wondering, well, could I talk to you somewhere private? It's about Serena."

Jadis' eyes widened in…fear? Was it fear? He wasn't too sure, but there was definitely something in her eyes that he didn't like. "Sure Jared," she finally nodded, leading into a room three doors down from Drake's.

She closed the door and gestured for him to have a seat. "What is it?"

"Elder Jadis, I need answers."

"About what, young one?"

He ignored that remark. He was over 250 years old, but in comparison to her he was quite young. "Now forgive me for my boast, but I do pride myself on my ability to control the vampire from emerging. Only once, or twice at most times every month does it ever get the best of me, but with this new slave, Serena, she's different. She's," he sighed. "I don't know what she is. Every time I see her, the_ vampire _comes out. She breaks every piece of control I have and I lose it. But I know he doesn't want her dead. There's some strange fascination that we have with her; the way she smells, the way she acts, the way she moves. When she does _anything_, just being there, is enough to drive me crazy!" Jared stopped, trying to think through what he was really trying to ask. He just wanted to know why she was doing this to him. But he didn't have to say anything; Jadis nodded her head from her seat across the desk.

"The blood in her, you find it irresistible?" she asked, leaning back in her chair, some strange glint in her eyes like she was formulating a plan. For someone who read minds, she wasn't very good at blocking hers. He nodded and she continued. "But you would never bite her, no matter how much you want to. However that doesn't mean the vampire will show the same restraint. _It_'s going to do what you want to do."

"I don't understand," he said, shaking his head in confusion.

"You are influencing the change, Jared. Because you want her, you are unconsciously losing the iron hold you have on your will to keep the virus at bay. Since you both desire the same thing, it has more power to be able to emerge."

"Jadis, I don't…"

"You are denying yourself what you want, what you need," she interrupted him. "So just take it." _If he made Serena a vampire, she wouldn't ever be led to the other side! There would be no reason for _them _to come for her if she was one of us…_Jadis thought to herself.

Jared stood angrily, "I will not bite her!" _But is that what he wanted from her?_

"Maybe you want her blood. Or maybe it's something more. If it is the blood, no matter how much you don't drink, you will succumb. I hate to say it Jared."

Jared glared at her. _Why was she saying this? _She wasn't acting like herself at all…and she hadn't even transformed. Her eyes were still their incredible blue, not the fire he would have expected to be there.

_Let him get a taste for her and maybe he'll change his mind, _Jadis thought, out loud,_ "_Perhaps you could just ask her to donate her blood?"

Jared snorted. "What?"

She laughed. "You know, mortals donate blood to others in hospitals. Ask her to do that, than drink it that way. Therefore you will be less likely to turn."

"Are you seriously suggesting that would be all I needed to do?"

"Yes, as strange as it sounds. It's just an idea, and it's a way to not change."

He laughed humorlessly. _Oh, Jadis, now she was acting more like herself. She was completely off her rocker. _"But what if _he_ wants more than blood?"

"Then find a way to get it without making the vampire emerge," Jadis shrugged.

"It's not that simple, Jadis." _He should have gone to Drake. _

"Of course it is. Jared, you are attracted to her, are you not?"

"To her blood," he gritted out.

She raised her brows. "That's all?"

"Yes! The blood. It's, well, it's seductive. It's unnatural. It's unlike anything I've ever smelt. If I get within two feet of her I change. I can't help it. I can't resist. It overpowers me. It's like, it's like... I don't know."

Jadis looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh my god," she whispered, _this is going to change everything._

Jared let himself fall back into his seat, his head falling into his hands. "What?" he mumbled.

She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's your _mitad de su alma_."

* * *

Serena hesitated before opening the door to the room where Mel was currently resting. Would Mel blame her for everything that happened with Nik? What would she say to her?

"Serena," Mel smiled weakly from the bed. "Hey. You're ok."

"Yeah. How are you feel…" Serena started, but Mel interrupted her.

"Thank you."

"What?" Mel had startled Serena into asking. "For what? You were helping me, remember. _I_ should be saying thanks to you."

"No one else would have gone for help like that though. Thank you."

"I'm sorry I didn't come fast enough," Serena whispered.

"No," Mel protested weakly, sitting up unsteadily. "You _helped _me. No one in this godforsaken place would have ever done that for me, except maybe Liz. I knew what I was doing Serena. I knew what would happen."

"That's what I don't understand. Why did you bait him like that? If you knew what he would do, why did you do it?"

Mel sighed. "Serena, you don't get it. If anything happened to you… Michael would be devastated," she whispered the last part, looking away from her.

"Michael? What does he have to do with anything?" _She still loves him, _Serena thought. _Even without the spelled ring she loves him_. "Did you save me for him? So when he got back you would be a hero in a way?" she asked angrily.

"No, never. Not a hero." Mel protested. "You don't deserve this life Serena. You don't deserve what these vampires want to do to you. And Michael, Michael seems to actually like you. There weren't any games with how he felt about you, just with how you felt about him."

"But before you said I should be careful around him!"

"But when I found out that he was going to make you his life partner, I realized something. He wasn't playing with you like the rest of us; do you know how big that is? He chose you. You are what makes him happy. If you were hurt, or killed, it would in turn kill him. I just want everything to work out for everyone. I want you both to be happy and safe."

Serena didn't know how to feel about what Mel was telling her. She was angry, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to be angry _with _Mel. Mel loved Michael, even though Michael didn't share the girl's affections. He liked her instead, but she didn't know how she felt about him. There were too many different things she was hearing about him, all of them seemingly true, yet all conflicting.

Serena sighed, she couldn't be angry with Mel. Love made people do crazy things. Who knows, maybe she would have done the same for someone she loved just as much? "Well, I'm happy that _you_ are safe," Serena said genuinely.

"I can see why Michael likes you," Mel smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes that let Serena know that this girl was sacrificing someone she loved in order for that person to be happy. "And I hope that you two can be together somehow."

"That won't be happening anytime soon," spoke a voice from the doorway.

Serena snapped around to see red-eyed Jared standing in the doorway.

"Or ever," he taunted.

"You are not welcome here," Serena snapped.

"_You're_ not in charge. It's Mel's decision whether I stay or go," sing songed the vampire.

"He may stay," Mel whispered, not looking at either of them. "He did save my life."

Serena sneered up at Jared as he approached.

"You and I need to talk," he said, gripping her elbow.

"No, we really don't."

Jared pulled her to him, running a hand through her golden hair. "But you see, I found out something today. And what I was told is _impossible_. So you and I are going to have a chat with **the Three**."

"Jared no!" shouted Mel, wincing in pain as she tried to sit up and follow them out the door.

* * *

_Oh, please review. I LOVE feedback. Makes me write all the faster. _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	20. The Three

_Oh my god, I'm loving the amount of reviews! lol You all get imaginary cookies. _

_So! I hope this chapter is long enough! If any of it is confusing just let me know and I can change it around._

* * *

Midairne Castle

_Jared pulled her to him, running a hand through her golden hair. "But you see, I found out something today. And what I was told is _impossible_. So you and I are going to have a chat with __**the Three**__."_

"Jared!" Serena panicked, tearing at the skin on his hand as he pulled her through the hallway. _Who were the Three?_

"Stop struggling!" he growled, jerking her arm so hard she felt like it was going to pop out of its socket. "I'm going to find out what you are whether you fight me or not! You should just make it easier for yourself."

Serena wrenched her wrist out of his hand and slapped him soundly across the face. "NO!"

His upper lip curled as he looked down at her with blazing eyes. He brought his hand to his lips and licked the blood bleeding from the cut she made there.

She remained where she was, staring at him, but her head recoiled in disgust. He was drinking his own blood.

The crimson of his eyes faded as his nectar touched his tongue, but he stepped towards her, looking her up and down. He gripped the back of her head and slammed his lips against hers for a violent kiss. She resisted, placing her hands on either side of his face, but he persisted, forcing her into the wall.

One hand remained wrapped around the back of her neck while the other pulled her lower back into him. His knee forced itself between her thighs to brace her so he wouldn't have to lean over as much to plunge his tongue between her lips. He slammed her into the wall again and slipped a hand under the hem of her shirt.

Serena beat his hands with hers while turning her head back and forth. He followed, ignoring her lame attempts at trying to hurt him, and aggressively pecked her mouth. "We need to get something straight here, little mouse." He suddenly removed his knee and without his support to hold her up she fell noisily to the ground.

She glared up at him as he stood over her. "You are the prisoner here and I the master. You won't do anything that I don't want you to do, you won't talk to anyone I don't want you to talk to, and you won't say anything until I tell you to. UNDERSTOOD?"

She stood quickly, a little too quickly he thought, and pushed his chest. He was forced to take a step back, _her strength was returning, _he thought smugly. He would just have to push her a little further to get the full effect. Be a little meaner, a little more violent, and she would come out to play in all her superhuman glory.

"Your prisoner?" she demanded. "YOUR PRISONER! No, you get something straight _vampire_, the other people in this place may be begging to do your bidding but you will never ever intimidate me again. I am no prisoner, and as soon as I get the chance I'm leaving." She could feel the energy pumping through her veins, escaping up towards her skin.

_The vampire_ vanished from his consciousness as Jared watched in fascination while the woman in front of him began to glow slightly. Something was projecting from her, a radiant white light slowly dancing towards him. He reached out to her, but as they made contact the light disappeared. "What is this?" he whispered. He suddenly growled as _the vampire _placed an intense pressure on his mind and was thrown into a dark part of his psyche while _the vampire_ emerged once more.

Serena gasped when the ruby-eyed demon gripped her upper arm painfully. "You should be intimidated sweetness because you are _mine_. I'm going to make sure they scrape the very deepest depths of your mind before letting me take over the torture. I hope you remember what happened to Nikolas."

Her eyes widened in fear. So much for not being intimidated.

He sneered before continuing to pull her through the hallways to the stairway. She couldn't even struggle in the slightest; she was in such shock. _Would he really do that to her?_ She didn't know if he would, but he could.

Jared pulled her down a private set of stairs all the way to the basement. She felt fear and panic rise in her chest as he walked towards the next set of stairs downwards. She swung her hand to connect with his face, but he turned and caught it with inhuman speed. He growled lowly, but did nothing else before leading them back down the hallway.

Her breath quickened as they approached the stairs. The Cannibals were down there. Was he actually taking her to the Cannibals? She was going to die. She had about the amount of time it would take to get down the stairs to live. Even he could be about to die!

She forced herself to fall as he stepped down the first stair. He jerked back slightly, but grinned devilishly at her. "Just kidding," he said, pulling her up and turning down the hallway above the cannibals once more. Serena let out a breath of disbelief. He wasn't taking her down to the Cannibals? She _hated _this vampire. She sniffed and realized she had been on the verge of tears as he had walked towards that stairway. How dare he? _Just kidding? Just KIDDING? _He was definitely going to pay in some shape or form.

They remained on the first level, passing by the circular room where Michael and Chace had been sentenced their separate judgments. Taking the door to the right and across the hall, Jared kicked open the door and dragged Serena into a completely dark room. She couldn't see anything in the room apart from the concrete floor they stood on, laminated by the light from the doorway. She didn't know who was in there with them…or _what._

"The Sacred Three," Jared said, bowing his head. _Could he see what was in the room with his enhanced senses_? She asked herself.

"Who dares disturb us at such a time?" commanded a tenor male voice. It was regal and full of derogation, speaking as if he were a God.

"Jared Conrad, son of Elder Lestat." _Lestat was his sire?_

"Ah, Jared, your eyes. You seem to be having difficulty with your urges. Are you having enough iron?" taunted the voice.

"Why have you come?" asked another, female by the sounds of it, ignoring her companion's remark.

Jared stepped forward into the room, dragging Serena behind him. She winced and struggled, but he paid no attention to her. Instead he closed the door and left them to be devoured by the darkness.

"I need answers from this one," he replied, nodding to Serena.

"You wish us to torture a mortal?" asked the woman in disgusted disbelief.

"That is beneath us," stated a different male voice, slightly deeper than the first and raspy. It was like there was a large coconut lodged in his throat.

"I need you to look into her mind," stated Jared.

"Surely Jadis would be happy to oblige," scoffed the only woman within the Three.

"She has refused my request," Jared stated bitterly.

"And what knowledge could you seek from a mere mortal?" asked the second male voice.

"Everything. I want to know everything; the past, the present and the future."

"You would ask us to meddle with the mind of an insignificant human for your own appeasement Jared?"

"Yes!" shouted Jared. He took another step into the room, leaving Serena no choice but to follow. "When was the last time you saw me like this, Cyprian?" Jared asked dangerously low.

"1787, Romania," replied the vampire Cyprian, the first of the Three to speak.

"And what happened?"

The voice did not respond. She could practically hear the smirk that would most likely be on Jared's face right about now.

A flame suddenly flared to life, making Serena wince and shield her face. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the light and she saw that they were standing in a small, square room. There were no furnishings, just the five of them, facing each other.

The Three were not what she was expecting. The woman, who was one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen, raised a flame-encompassed hand as she regarded Serena. She was fairly tall, perhaps the same height as Serena, with curled chestnut hair tied into a bun on the top of her head and glowing gray skin. Strange blue symbols decorated the woman's entire body, even underneath the satin fabric she wore as a robe around her. She eyed Serena with huge, striking yellow eyes.

Serena looked away from the woman quickly; unsure of what would happen if she looked at this creature, whatever it was, for too long.

Her gaze was then directed towards the man, or what looked like a man, who stood in the middle. He looked young…and normal. He looked almost innocent with soft features and blond, almost white, hair. There didn't seem to be anything off about him at all, except that he didn't show any emotion whatsoever, but at least he didn't look ready to kill her. His lean body was the whitest she had ever seen and only partly covered in the strange blue symbols. They reached up his exposed arms and no doubt onto his chest, but none on his face or legs, like the woman's.

His dark eyes hardened as they made contact with Serena's, but returned to their normal emotionless state. Did she imagine it? She looked away, once again, uncomfortably, only to notice the third member of The Three.

Cyprian, Jared had called him. He looked horrific. Scars sliced across his entire face, two directly over his right eye, shutting it closed permanently. The entanglement of the blue symbols and scarred skin mangled a once handsome face, and every other piece of exposed body part that she could see. Although a thick beard covered majority of the scars across the lower part of his face, there was no distracting from the deep set of scarred tissue surrounding his eyes, cheeks, and forehead. _Had Jared done that?_

"It is not your job to question authority," Jared snapped. "You do what you are told to do, for a price. And that price will be paid."

"Jared, darling, you realize that this process can be excruciatingly painful, with a chance of permanently damaging all sanity she possesses?" commented the woman, stepping closer to look at Serena face to face.

"Yes, Emelina," replied Jared, not even glancing at Serena.

"She obviously means something to you that you are willing to ask us for help, but not enough to protect her from what could come of our assistance?" asked the white haired creature within the room. His voice remained indifferent, as if he didn't care whichever Jared chose.

"Fabien!" shouted Jared, causing Serena to jump. The woman who had been looking at her stared harder in intent curiosity.

"She is a strange human," she commented, circling her slowly.

"Just do the ritual!" Jared commanded.

Fabien remained impassive to the angry vampire, but nodded. "Put her in the circle."

Jared picked Serena up effortlessly, walking to the center of the room and placing her on the ground there.

Serena stood back up, panic rising in her chest. _What were they going to do?_

"Serena," he hissed, grabbing her shoulders and placing her back in the center. "The less you struggle the easier it will be for you."

She knocked his hands away. "The easier it will be for _them _you mean."

"She must remain still Jared," commented the fire holder.

"Can I just keep her from struggling?" he asked, spinning her around so she faced the Three and wrapping his arms around her.

"She must remain in the circle alone, unless you wish for your secrets to be unveiled as well," spoke the woman, extinguishing the flame in her hand.

Serena struggled in the darkness, unaware of anything except for Jared's arms locked around her.

The Three moved around the room soundlessly, positioning themselves so as to create a triangle surrounding Serena and Jared.

Jared twisted her suddenly, capturing her hands in his and tying a coarse rope around them. _Where did he get that?_ She thought to herself.

He didn't look at her, not once, as he forced her to her knees on the ground. He continued to tie her hands and moved to her feet with the same piece of rope.

Serena spun around and knocked Jared over the head with her tied hands. She didn't know what she hoped to accomplish, seeing as there were another three people…things, she would have to fight with to escape, but that one last hit had made her feel slightly better. She was going to have to endure whatever the hell it was that they were going to do to her, he mine as well feel some pain as well.

His face turned at the contact, but it flicked back towards hers as he let out a soft growl in his throat. He finally looked at her, his burning red meeting her smoldering green. They shone with anger and lust, and…regret? Serena couldn't tell and couldn't figure it out before he continued to tie her feet, a little more tightly then they should have been.

He gripped her chin as he kneeled to her level and pulled her in for an assailing kiss.

Fabien cleared his throat and Jared pulled away from her, standing and walking to the opposite end of the room to watch.

"Abra brillante la luz, ancho abierto la mente," began Emelina's cool voice. "Abra brillante la luz, ancho abierto la mente." She chanted those words over and over before Cyprian joined. Fabien then stretched his arms outward to reach his two companions and began to chant. The other two lifted their arms in the same manner and continued to chant, growing louder and faster with each repetition.

Serena attempted to stand but the rope tied from her hands to her feet prevented it, and she was forced to watch as a stream of green smoke lit up the room, spreading from each of the Three to connect them in the triangle around her.

Their chanting increased in intensity, blurring and meshing together past the point of recognition, not that she understood a word of it to begin with. The blue symbols on their bodies shone brightly as the smoke manifested itself into a notable form in front of her. A bat.

She recoiled from it, rolling away. It followed her, flying in front of her face threateningly before landing on her head.

A pain, almost like a stab to the base of her skull, ripped through her head as the smoke descended. It felt like thousands of crawling hands had latched onto the pulsing organ to pull and tare the fragments of her mind. Thoughts and feelings were pushed away to leave memories. They flashed before her as if she were watching her life on a rewinding movie, each scene cutting deeper into her subconscious.

It wasn't anything like how Jadis had read her mind. Jadis' presence was untraceable and painless; this…this was something entirely different. The spell the Three chanted was of dark and ancient magic with the purpose of reading memories and leaving an unintelligible figure to be disposed of afterwards.

What kind of creatures were they that they could invoke such power? Were they vampires?

She let out a scream as pieces of her memories were torn from her, to be looked at and interrogated. She saw Nikolas hanging from the ceiling by his hands, bleeding out onto the ground, Michael being dragged away at the Judgment, Chace smiling smugly overtop of her as he hit her, Shane bending over Lana as he drank from her neck, the mugger holding her up against the wall, dancing on the bar at her old work. The memories didn't stop, they flashed before her eyes in waves, each time seeming to split her head even further.

Suddenly she saw her father, standing in front of her with a handgun. He was speaking to her, and then the shot fired. "NO!" Serena screamed. She would not let them see this. A powerful burst of energy erupted from her in all directions, forcing the Three into the air and into the walls. The rope binding her split and Serena's limbs fell limp around her on the ground.

She panted for breath, a sudden exhaustion overcoming her. Her mind was searing, as if it was suffering from third degree burns. Huge sobs racked her body as she stared into the dark around her. She was in so much pain.

Moans and grumbling sounded throughout the room, and the woman's hand once again lit into flames. "Extraordinary," she whispered, staring at the whimpering girl in the middle of the room.

Cyprian stood slowly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at his fallen comrade. Fabien lay unmoving on the ground, his right arm bent at an awkward angle. Cyprian put a hand to his throat and let out a sigh, "He's dead."

"Amazing," the woman whispered, not caring that her colleague had just perished from Serena's power.

Jared leapt to his feet quickly, rushing to touch Serena's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Serena sobbed, flinching away from him.

"The process can be stressful to a mortal, but she is strong. She'll get over it," Cyprian commented.

"Never before has a human been able to throw off our intrusion!" stated Emelina in disbelief. "Never!"

"So she _is_ human?" Jared asked from his crouched position by Serena's side.

"To be honest, we're not quite sure. She threw us out just as we were about to see…"

"Then do it again!" snapped Jared, red eyes flashing.

Emelina frowned, "And risk my own life? I'm sorry Jared. The most we can tell you is that she seems to be a genetic mutation of the Homo sapiens species, a revolutionary find in modern human existence."

"That's it?" Jared asked in disbelief. "That's all you can tell me?"

"She does contain an astounding amount of power that seems to come from within her essence of being. If she feels threatened, or endangered, she lets out that energy, which we have all witnessed just now, for protection.

"She is unable to control it, but it is there. And I'm sure she's not even aware of the power that is there. It's like nothing I've ever seen before!"

"But you don't know for sure what she is?" snapped Jared.

"Who knows? And I'm not willing to find out no matter the price you are willing to offer. She is clearly capable of ending our existence" Cyprian stated, looking at Fabian then at Serena with unease.

"You had best take her to Jadis if you want any concrete answers," stated Emelina, wiping off the dust from her robe.

Jared growled fiercely as he regarded the last two members of the Three. They didn't even care that Serena had just killed Fabien. He bent down and picked up the huddled sobbing girl from the floor gently. "Thanks for nothing," he said before walking out of the room.

* * *

_So, whatcha think? Like it? Hate it? In need of more? The plot is just starting to unravel so stay tuned! :D _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	21. A Plan

_Ok, I know some people are going to hate me for the short chapter, but I'm only doing this because if I added in everything in this chapter it would be over 6,000 words. So I'm breaking up the chapters. Leave you wanting more, that's my policy ;)_

* * *

Midairne

Serena couldn't stop the images from repeating in her mind. She was replaying the episode with her father over and over again, watching every time as the light left his eyes and he fell to the floor.

No matter how much she despised that man, he had been her father, and she had killed him. "Make it stop," she whispered, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Make it stop."

Jared looked down at the weeping girl in his arms. She hadn't stopped crying yet, no doubt the experience with the Three had been more painful than he could have imagined. He should never have put her through this. Was it really so important that he figured out what she was?

Part of him shouted yes, knowing that she wasn't at all human and craving the answer to what she could really be. If he knew, he could somehow find a way to keep her from his mind. If she was using magic he could…_the vampire_ didn't know what he would do, but there must be something out there to prevent different types of creatures, human and demon alike from entering his thoughts. But another side of him didn't really care at all, whatever the hell she was.

As regret filled his heart, the demon side of him gave out, allowing Jared to emerge fully into his consciousness. "Shh," he whispered. "It's going to be fine."

"No, I had to, I had to. He was going to kill me, I had to. He killed her, was going to kill me, I had to," she rambled in panic, glancing around fearfully. She suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face towards hers. "I had to."

"I understand, Serena. But it's over, it's finished. He's not there anymore," Jared said soothingly as he climbed the stairs to his room. He had no idea what she was talking about, but it still made him worried. _What could have possibly happened in her past that she was now rambling like a lunatic?_ And it was all his fault. The vampire in him had brought her to the Three, the mythical creatures of some alternate dimension that thrived off the use of dark and ancient magics. Some spells so powerful that it did _this._

"You don't, you don't know. You couldn't," she cried into his shoulder.

Jared didn't say anything as he placed her gently onto the covers. "You're shivering," he muttered, pulling the duvet on top of her.

She barely noticed as her shivering ceased, but she saw that the memories were fading, growing less distinct in detail before disappearing entirely. She could see clearly once more, but the stinging in her mind was still there, like a terrible migraine.

A gust of cold air hit her as the blanket was lifted slightly from her body, but only for a moment, before it covered her again. Strong arms encircled her waist causing her to jump and try to shake them off. "You're freezing Serena," Jared said, pressing up against her back. "Let me help."

She almost snorted at his words. "You help me? Like your cold dead body would help me in the slightest." But she was wrong. He was strangely warm, a furnace of never ending heat. _Why? _"Just let me die, please," she whispered as another tear rolled down her cheek.

His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to him, "Never Serena." She stopped moving and wished she could turn to look at him, but she couldn't find the strength. So she lay there, wrapped in his arms, listening to the sound of her unsteady breathing.

As her breath evened out, Jared gently turned her to face him, arms still tightly around her. She was asleep; reddened eyes closed, dry streaks of makeup running down her face, her hair slightly damp from where the tears had fallen. She was beautiful, and probably one of the strongest women he had ever met in his 250 years.

Holding her like this, being with her felt strangely right. Whatever she was or whatever she was capable of doing didn't matter.

And in that moment he could tell what Jadis had said really was true.

She twitched slightly, bringing her arm around his back while resting her head on his chest. He smiled weakly and watched as she let out a content sigh. The vampire pushed on his consciousness, demanding to be released, but he fought back. No one was going to interfere with this moment, not even himself.

* * *

"Jared!" someone whispered softly, stirring him from his blissful sleep. "Jared!"

His eyes snapped open and he glanced down at the woman in his arms. She was still asleep.

"Jared!" the person whispered again.

He looked around the room before noticing the figure in the doorway. "Liz? What are you doing here?"

"Jared, Chace has escaped," she said fearfully.

"What?"

"Somehow, in some way, he managed to escape Chrozon!"

Jared swore softly. With one last look at Serena he shifted her out of his arms before standing to face Liz.

"But that's not all Jared."

"What else could there possibly be?"

"Michael tried to escape as well."

She gasped when Jared's eyes glazed over. He shook his head angrily, and his eyes returned to their blue color. "Did they catch him?"

"He's been sent for another 6 days in the Abyss."

Jared's face remained emotionless. "Where are they?" He needed to speak with the Elders.

* * *

"Our little game of exchange-the-hostage with those _dogs_ is going to become a full on attack!" shouted Lestat angrily as he paced back and forth in the Room of Judgment. "Chace has full knowledge of our attack sequences, our defenses, all the members, all the maneuvers we have been working on…"

"Enough Lestat," commanded Drake as Jared entered.

"Jared, so nice of you to join us, and not as that power-hungry, vampire shredding virus. Lovely," Merishka said sarcastically from her seat around the circular table in the middle of the room. "No doubt you've been too busy lately screwing your meat eating mortal to obey orders."

"Merishka, shut up," David comment from across the table.

"How dare you talk to me you back stabbing homo!" Merishka snapped.

They continued to shout obscenities at each other as Jared stepped inside, noting the addition of a large circular table in the middle of the Judgment room with twelve chairs placed around it. All the remaining elders, Drake, Lestat, Amelia, Merishka, David, and Jadis, were seated around it, as well as Brett, Kiki, Dee, and the two remaining members of the Three.

He took his place beside his sire and regarded those that sat around him. Their faces ranged from worried to royally pissed off, and he could tell that they were going to be here a long while.

"Merishka, David!" snapped Jadis, rubbing her temples in frustration. "We need to make a plan of action. Fighting amongst ourselves will not help matters." The two vampires remained quiet, but didn't stop shooting looks of hatred at each other. "Now, we have to bring in all the magicians we can to protect ourselves. We need to regroup, create new maneuvers, new weapons. We have to start from scratch, completely rework and rebuild the way we approach this war. Based on what Chace tells them, they will expose us through our weaknesses and see that our race becomes extinct."

"They will not attack yet," Drake's spoke calmly. Everyone turned to him.

"But Drake," started Merishka.

"No, they will not attack us directly until the girl is dead," the leader of the Elders repeated.

"And that won't be happening!" snapped Jared.

"Then we have nothing to worry about, right?" taunted Lestat.

"Why is Chace so desperate for Serena's death?" asked David.

"The prophecy," replied Amelia softly.

"You know that doesn't exist," spat Lestat at his fellow elder.

Amelia's brows furrowed, "You doubt the supernatural Lestat?"

"Considering that we are _all_ apart of the supernatural world, no one should be doubting anything," Jadis mediated before something broke out between the two glaring elders. "And Chace believes in the prophecy, which means that the lycans believe in it. They will stop at nothing, no matter what the cost, to eliminate the girl that could potentially restore us to our world."

Drake twitched from his position, clenching his fists on the table, "Keep people prepared for unexpected attacks, double security, provide everyone with chains of silver and stack up on silver bullets. They will not strike at us unprepared. Emelina and Cyprian, see if you can locate Chace through the traces of magic he's leaving around. Merishka, contact all those supporting our side, let them know of our predicament, especially the other covens. All of them. Amelia, track down the Demon King, he will want to know everything in full, gory detail, Lestat and David, start training the newborns. Jadis, gather all the magicians, new and old, and put up wards, spells, anything and everything you can think of to protect the castle. Jared, Brett, and Kiki increase the productivity of weapons. Dementia," he paused, "please infiltrate that fucking pack of dogs."

The vampires at the table nodded, all in understanding of what they had to do. "The war has officially restarted."

"The newborns are gonna learn how it's done," sing songed David with a grin, rubbing his hands together.

"And what of the girl?" asked Lestat.

Drake looked hard at Jared, "He will look after her."

"Then frequent updates are in order, every second day before sunrise we will gather," Amelia stated.

Everyone stood soundlessly, Dee and Brett following Drake out of the doors, soon followed by everyone except Lestat.

He remained behind, waiting for everyone to clear out. "Jared," Lestat smirked at his 'son'. "I want to meet her."

"Sire," Jared said stiffly, bowing his head, "You already have."

Lestat laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I want to formally introduce myself, alone, with the mortal girl."

"No."

Lestat laughed again. "Surely you would let me…"

"I said no," snapped Jared.

Lestat frowned. "I am your sire!"

"Yes, you are my sire, but you are not going to be left alone with her. You forget I know you too well."

"You know nothing, Jared," stated Lestat calmly.

"How about a trade then? You can talk to Serena if you leave Kiki alone. Let her be free."

"Don't you bring her into this," hissed Lestat, suddenly inches from Jared's face.

"Why? You turned her. Kiki is a free vampire, and yet you keep her as a slave. Release her and you can have a little chat with Serena."

"You must love your sister dearly," sneered Lestat.

Jared didn't comment but didn't look away from his sire's eyes.

Lestat's lip curled and his eye twitched. "No mortal is worth that much."

"To me she's worth even more," snapped Jared before turning and walking out of the room.

* * *

_Comments? Complaints? Praise?_

_Thanks for reading, _

_Maddly Riddled_


	22. Your Choice

_Thanks for sticking with me throughout this long process. Reviews are always welcome! Even if you only review because you're angry I took so long! (which I am again sorry for!)_

* * *

Jared's Room

Serena opened her eyes slowly, trying to ease into consciousness. Her head still ached from the Three's magic, and she wondered how long it would be like this for. She ran her hand along the other side of the bed, searching for the body she thought would be there. There was nothing, just an undisturbed place on the covers. _Where did he go?_

She sat up, very slowly, and looked around the room. It was the same... suddenly Jared popped up into her line of vision. She screamed and hit him lightly before rolling away from him, "Don't do that Jared!"

He grinned slyly, red eyes flashing, "Sorry Mouse, Jared isn't driving right now. Looks like it's just you and me." He leapt onto the bed, forcing Serena to shuffle back even further. She almost fell off but he grabbed her before that happened.

Letting go of her quickly, he lay down, placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. A devilish smirk appeared on his face.

Serena looked at him. _What was he doing? Just…lying there? _"Is there a reason you're here and not Jared?"

He cracked open one eye and glanced at her, "I've been trying to come out all night baby, he only just caved now."

"So why are you out? What do you want?"

Both his eyes opened and he turned his head to look at her, a little startled. She was sitting about a foot from him, on her knees. She looked to be on complete alert and ready for a fight.

He didn't know why he was so forceful to take control over Jared's body, but seeing her there beside him, reeking of fear and anger, rewarded him. It sparked a deep thirst and longing within him as he looked at her. "I just wanted to know if you're ok from what happened with the Three," he offered, feigning concern.

"Whatever. Like you care."

"Oh, you're wrong Serena. I care very much." He suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh man, I was never good at the whole lying thing; I don't even know why I try! No, I don't really care, but maybe I would care a little if you hadn't already killed one of them in vengeance."

Serena looked away ashamed. "I didn't mean to," she whispered.

"Tsk, tsk, little Mouse. Using all that power against the Three. They were only doing what they were told."

"And why would you order them to do that?" shouted Serena, hitting him squarely in the chest with a glowing fist. He flew across the room and knocked into the wall, leaving a giant indent.

He stood up with a loud growl, "Because your something that shouldn't exist for me!"

"What?" Serena let escape in a breath, scrambling to her knees on the bed.

Jared looked at her through reddened eyes as he stalked towards her, "Only those of pure light and giggles get what Jadis said you were to me. But you can't be. It's not possible."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Its not possible for me," was his answer.

"Why? Because you're a disgusting asshole who likes to eat people?"

He laughed, "Yes."

Serena frowned as he crouched back onto the bed.

"And because of you. You are something different. You create a force field of power so strong that it _kills_ mortals? Not even our greatest magicians could do that without years and years of training. _Why can you_?"

She didn't say anything and turned away from him.

"Good thing the Three are not vampires. Who knows what would have happened if they were. Would they have been knocked out, like Chace?" He sighed when she still wouldn't say anything. "What were you trying so hard to hide?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked at her.

"Nothing! No one has any right to look inside my head without permission!" she lied as he leaned towards her on the bed.

"For some reason I don't believe you," he whispered dangerously, running a finger down her cheek.

She flinched away from him, but he followed her, crawling slowly towards her. "I don't believe you for a second. That was some power you had there. There's no way you're a _'genetic mutation of the homo sapiens species_ '. No human has that much power; the most they do is see into the future and lift pencils with their mind. You," he paused as she started to fall over the side of the bed again in an effort to create distance between them.

He caught her before she landed on the floor and leaned over her.

Serena felt the blood rushing to her head as he kept her upside down with his hands around her upper arms. "You're different," he whispered, kissing her exposed neck. "Not human at all, are you?"

She didn't answer, but tried to get up. He pushed her back and nipped her neck. "I have major plans for us today, Serena."

"Like what? Getting someone else to mind rape me? Because as fun as that was yesterday I don't think I'm up for it," she said sarcastically, her green eyes flaring in anger.

He smirked and pulled her up, immediately placing her legs around his waist. "Although that does sound like a grand time, I have another plan," he whispered inches from her lips. "I want to know what you're hiding, _Gabriella, _and you're going to tell me. We don't need another Amik on our hands," he muttered the last part, yanking her up and over the bed with him.

Before she knew it he was at the door and pulling her through it by the elbow forcefully.

"Don't you think if I had more power, or anything, that I would be using it right about now?"

Jared tugged her arm and pushed her against the wall. "I wouldn't exactly know now would I? You could be anything, one of the lycans," he put an arm beside her head on the wall and leaned in for a deep inhale, "Ok, definitely not a lycan, they smell like shit. You smell," he inhaled again and grinned, "You smell like lavender and grapes."

She glared at him.

"Maybe you could be a demon, or an _elf_! Or one of those dumb vampire hunters. Who knows? I sure as hell don't, but I know you know more that you aren't telling me."

She pushed herself up off the wall, but Jared placed a hand on her stomach and shoved her back. She winced as she slammed back into the wall, "So you have a choice."

"What choice?"

He smirked. "You'll find out," he said, pulling her along once again. She had to practically jog to keep from being dragged on the ground alongside his long strides.

"No, get Jared out here! I want to talk with Jared!"

"Jared's not here!" he snapped, but he kept going.

"He is! He's like you, struggling to be free! Let him out!"

The vampire didn't answer. He led her all the way to the end of the hallway on the 3rd floor before opening a door and shoving her in.

She raised her hands in defense but noticed that they were in a huge closet filled with different costumes and props. "What the hell is this? What are you planning? To torture me with a feathered boa!" she demanded in disbelief.

He smirked. "Not exactly. Rarity!" he shouted.

A meek, very thin, dirty blond haired girl stepped out from behind a trolley of clothes. "Yes, sir?" she asked quietly, keeping her head down.

"Get Serena a costume. She'll be tonight's main event," he said coldly.

"Sir?" Rarity asked, looking up in surprise. Seeing his expression of anger, she quickly ducked her head.

"Just do it!"

Rarity whimpered and rushed off into the mass of overly dramatic costumes.

Jared smirked at her before gripping her arm and pulling her over to a hidden red curtain. Pulling it back only a smidge, he forced her to look out into what lay behind it.

Serena gasped. Behind the curtain was a wooden stage and currently on it were three human girls dancing in lingerie. Dozens and dozens of vampires surrounded them, male and female, all red eyed and salivating as the girls performed.

When one girl got too close to the edge of the stage a male vampire pulled her off and plunged his teeth into her neck. The crowd cheered but the dancers kept going.

"What is this?" Serena demanded as she spun around to face him.

"Your choice."

* * *

_Comments? Complaints? Praise?_

_Thanks for reading, _

_Maddly Riddled_


	23. A Dance

_Thanks for sticking with me throughout this long process. Reviews are always welcome! Even if you only review because you're angry I took so long! (which I am again sorry for!)_

_**HINT**: whenever Jared has red eyes is when he is crazy vamp Jared, when he has blue eyes its just the regular Jared. _

_This chapter's a little bumpy in places, but I will edit it later, too tired right now  
_

* * *

Costume Closet

"My choice?" she snapped.

Jared pulled her away from the curtain and back into the closet-like room. "Yes, your choice. There's a lot that you aren't telling me, Serena. But most I've guessed about you; why you changed your name, why you've been on the run for four and a half years. It's all got to do with your parents. You say you don't know how half of your parents' house was demolished? I think I do.

"After that little encounter with the Three, I've figured most of it out. The way you sent them out of your mind with a huge glowing light that just magically burst from your body, which happened to kill the youngest of them, was the same way you killed your father. Your power emerged that night. It was the first time you'd ever seen it, and it completely totaled half your house. You probably felt threatened or endangered, so much so that it caused your power reflex.

"You cried earlier that you didn't mean to hurt anyone, that you didn't mean to hurt _him_. Bullshit girlie. There's a way to control that power, you just don't want to."

Serena's lip almost curled in anger. _How dare he!_ "You know nothing," she hissed.

"Then enlighten me. I want to know everything you know. _Everything._ And if you decide not to tell me…"

"And what if I don't know anything?" Serena snapped, pulling herself away from him. "What if I don't know what these powers are? Or how I got them? What if the only thing I know is what you have already figured out?" Which is all that she did know. She really didn't know where these powers came from, or what she was entirely capable of.

"Oh but you do. Somewhere, maybe subconsciously, you know what you can do; you know why you have them. And I'm going to find out," he whispered dangerously, stepping towards her slowly.

"Then I can't help you now can I? I don't know anything more than you do!"

"But we're going to figure it out. You're going to train with the newborns, develop your powers, and help me find a way to look into your mind."

Serena looked at him in disbelief. "And what if I don't?"

"Then you're gonna have a great time dancing in front of all these bloodthirsty vamps every night for the rest of your damn life."

Serena almost snorted. "You're threatening me with dancing?" Did he even know what she did before she was kidnapped? She danced on bar tops!…although she didn't have to wear burlesque clothing…

Rarity then walked towards them carrying a ruffled pink costume. "Sir," she whispered, holding out the outfit to him.

Jared's blazing eyes never left Serena's as Rarity held out the outfit. "I guess we have a new attraction," he sneered.

"No," Serena glared, stepping back from him.

"Then you can show me what you can do tomorrow evening, at sundown."

"I can't just use my powers, it doesn't work that way."

"Then tell me how it works!" he shouted, looming over her.

"I _don't **know!**_**" **

"Well until you do, you'll be dancin' for those monsters."

Serena felt herself shaking in anger. "Fine," she said coldly, taking the costume out of Rarity's hands. "It'll be the best damn show they've ever seen."

As she turned away from him, Jared smirked. "I'll be in the front row, be sure to impress.

"Oh, and Serena…"

Serena spared him a glance, and received a faceful of clothing.

"Wear that one instead," he smirked, having just thrown another outfit at her.

Serena sighed as he left and felt herself slouch down. What the hell was she doing?

"Excuse me, miss," whispered the frightened girl.

Serena looked at her through golden locks, "What?"

"You…you…sh…should know that th…the better you da..dance the more likely they wo…wont grab you and b…bite y…yo..you."

Serena gave the girl a weak smile, "Thanks for the tip, Rarity right?"

The meek girl nodded, ducking her head as to avoid eye contact. "But th...they might j..just grab you be...be..cause you smell so goo...good to them."

"How long have you been here Rarity?" Serena asked, stripping down to pull on the outfit.

"I…I was b…born here."

That caused Serena to stop in surprise. "You were born here?"

"Yes ma…ma'am."

"Wow, that's awful. So, what? You've never left this place? You don't even know what's on the other side?"

"No," the girl said quickly walking to the other end of the closet and began to hang up different outfits.

Serena cautiously followed her. "Are your parents still aliv…I mean, uh, living here?"

Rarity nodded frantically. "My mother's on…one of the c…c…cleaners and my f..father's in charge of finan…finances."

"And who do they belong... um, well, who's their boss?" Serena asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Yo…you'd bet…better get ready. The girl's wi…will be off in a co…co…couple of min…utes," she whispered, turning her back on Serena.

"Yeah, yeah I guess you're right," Serena muttered, pulling on the rest of her outfit. She looked down and sighed. She was barely clothed by a black sequined bra, and a thin piece of red material that were considered bottoms. It only covered half her ass! _What a show they were going to get_, she thought sadly.

Three girls then emerged from the stage, bustling about the room to change out of their revealing outfits. One was very obnoxious, going on about how she had the crowd up and going, "They were all over me! I was just so fucking good!"

Another just changed her clothing and left without a word, looking very upset. The last girl clutched her bleeding neck before giving Serena weak smile, "Don't get too close to the edge."

The loud girl followed the other two out the door, but turned to Serena at the last possible moment, "Give 'em a show that'll keep 'em beggin' for more."

"It's time," Rarity said, holding the curtain open for her. "The so…song is the Hip Hip Chin Chin."

"Are you kidding?" Serena laughed humorlessly. _Oh God! That was a samba beat!_

"Brea…break a…don't get eaten."

She nodded while taking a deep breath. Just before entering the stage, she grabbed the long black flowing cape offered to her from Rarity. It could be useful.

As she stepped out the lights were so blinding she almost raised her hand to shield her eyes. Serena refrained, barely, and walked to center stage. They were cheering around her, hissing and shouting. They were everywhere, calling to her, telling her what they were going to do if they got their hands on her.

Serena ignored them and positioned herself on the stage, raising her hands above her head with flicked wrists and bending her knees slightly. Although she hadn't danced on a stage for over 5 years, she definitely remembered how.

The music started and Serena began to move. She swayed cautiously at first, getting a feel for the rhythm of the music.

It started off slow, just a light rumbling of the symbols, before the bongos joined, urging her to move her hips and legs in slow, circular motions as if she were starting a rehearsed samba routine. All eyes were on her, watching her every movement. She felt a rush at being on stage again, but terrified because it was in front of blood drinking vampires that would no doubt jump her if she got too close to any of them.

Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. She was going to dance, even if it was to spite Jared.

"The subject for tonight's show is rhythm," sounded a voice on the track. "The beat." Then a banging of drums sounded and Serena felt her body shake to it before slowing down once again to the soft rhythm of the symbols. "The driving force that holds our lives together." She spun around as the same beating of drums played. "Without rhythm your heart would not beat, without direction, without mood and without shape." Serena began to move faster, flicking the black cape slightly before she noticed Jared right there, sitting in the front row like he said he would.

"And so tonight we say hip hip, chin chin, the rhythm section." The beat finally began to pick up, and Serena came alive. She swung the cape around her and began to twist and turn, dancing in perfect unison with the music. She felt it flow through her as she danced across the stage, a perfect solo of a samba.

She almost didn't realize it, but she was suddenly very close to the edge. She looked up and saw a red-eyed vampire reaching out towards her.

As if it was apart of her quick paced dance she lifted her leg and kicked the vamp away from her and continued with her show, moving her legs the way she had been taught 13 years ago, making sure to move back towards center stage.

But it wasn't enough. Three vampires jumped onto the stage, baring long, salivating fangs. Serena stopped, nearly tripping over the cape she bore in her hands. They circled around her, smirking.

Serena glared back at them, taking on a fighting stance. The music changed and Serena heard the loud sound of an electric guitar. The bass sounded and one of the vampires rushed to her, arms flailing outward.

She could tell it was speeding towards her with inhuman-like speed but she could still see it, still block the punch it threw her way and duck as it recovered with a roundhouse kick. She was able to maneuver around him, blocking his every move against her until she threw him off the stage. _She was strong, too strong for them to handle...How was she doing this?_! she asked herself.

Cheering sounded, but she barely registered it. The blood was pumping so fast throughout her body she could feel the changes that were happening. Her senses were being enheightened, her adrenaline was going, she was incredibly strong, and she now had the ability to see through the bright lights of the stage to the enormous crowd within the theatre. She gasped at the magnitude of the room before the other two vampires attacked her at the same time.

One got a good punch in before a burst of energy knocked them off course. It was such a small stream of light that hit the vampire, it took Serena by complete surprise. Had she controlled that wave of power? She must have, the light had come from her after all.

She felt another hit on her face and was forced to step back. When she looked back up Jared was holding the vampire up in the air by its neck. Before Serena could move he ripped the head off the vampire, splattering black blood all over the stage. Jared threw what was left of the body off the stage and strode towards her.

Serena was too shocked to fight as he lifted her up over his shoulder and marched off the stage, leaving a cheering crowd in his wake.

He had just _ripped off _a vampire's head! The reality of it dawned on Serena just as Jared dropped her to the floor. She was about to shout at him when his body knocked the wind out of her. He was overtop of her, devouring her mouth with his.

As she tried to gasp for air, he took advantage, plunging his tongue into her mouth. His hands gripped her breasts painfully, practically tearing off what little clothing she had. When his mouth finally left hers, she breathed in deep gulps of air, not noticing that his mouth had moved down her neck.

When she received a sufficient amount of air she tried to pry his hands away from her, using the new strength within her to try and shove him off. He didn't let go of her, however, still tasting every inch of her skin as his mouth traveled further down.

"No," she gasped as he licked a sensitive spot on the side of her breast.

Without a warning he stopped and sat up slowly, straddling her hips as he looked down at her with a frown. His eyes were still fire red, but he didn't look as dangerous. He looked thoughtful about something. "What was that back there?"

"What?" she asked, sitting up slightly as well.

"You know what."

"No, sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," Serena said, although she was clearly lying. What she didn't know was why she was lying in the first place. Almost the entire male population within the coven had just witnessed her kick the ass of two vampires…then Jared rip the others head off.

Serena began to struggle on that thought. This vampire was capable of anything; he'd already proven that to her by trying to eat her, tearing out Nikolas' insides and ripping off the head of another vampire.

And whenever he was near, she wanted to be in the opposite direction.

"Your funny Mouse, but I'm not in the mood for jokes, or _lies_." He was suddenly dangerous again, gripping her shoulders and forcing her back to the ground. "Now, it doesn't seem that my little threat worked at all, Serena. You enjoyed that little display."

"Enjoyed parading myself in front of dozens of vampires that could all drink my blood? Yeah right."

"Oh, but you did. I saw the amusement in your eyes. You liked how they watched you."

He had it all wrong. She liked to _dance! _She hated the way they looked at her.

But if they weren't about to kill her she would have wanted to perform again, but perhaps with a little more clothing...Serena's eyes widened in realization, "Are you upset because your threat didn't work at all? That I wasn't publically humiliated like you wanted me to be? That I wasn't emotionally scarred into telling you everything? Didn't know that I trained as a dancer ever since I was 6, did you?"

Jared suddenly vanished before her eyes, running at the speed of light to grab Rarity, hidden behind the array of clothing. He brought her back to where Serena lay, his hand around the young girl's throat, choking the life from her.

"Let go of her!" shouted Serena, sitting up and rushing towards him.

Jared disappeared once more, only to show up still clutching Rarity's throat behind her. "I don't think I will." He was faster then the other vampires, stronger, and she was afraid that her uncontrollable power and strength wouldn't help her against him if she were to challenge him.

"She has nothing to do with this!" Serena hissed, turning to face them.

"You have choices to make, Serena," he said, ignoring her. He ran a finger up and down Rarity's scarred neck before sighing. "So many bites Rarity, are they all from your previous owner?"

"More choices?" Serena asked angrily, wanting to get his attention away from the frail girl currently in his arms.

"It seems that I can't exactly threaten you anymore, so I will just have to make due with hurting someone else to get to you.

"You have two choices baby. One, if you refuse to learn with the newborns and you refuse to tell me all your little secrets, I rip out this girl's throat," he gripped the girl's neck a little harder to stress his point. "Or two, you agree to lessons with the Elders, tell me everything you know, then I'll leave poor little innocent Rarity alone."

"And if I agree to your demands then you will leave her out of this?"

"I'll never again touch a hair on her head," Jared sneered tauntingly, plucking a hair from Rarity's scalp.

"Ok, just, let go of her," Serena said, putting up her hands in surrender. "Just, leave her alone."

Jared pushed Rarity away from him and was suddenly inches from her face, "See you at sundown tomorrow, my room." He stared down at her intense, searching her eyes for something unknown.

When he finally turned away from her and walked towards the door, she let out the breath she had been holding.

"Oh, and Serena," he said over his shoulder, "never come back here again."

* * *

_Comments? Complaints? Praise?_

_Opinion? Jared seems a little peeved that she wasn't threatened into telling him everything...and now he never wants her to dance? Talk about bipolar! _

_Stay tuned for the next chapter where more will be revealed! :D_

_Thanks for reading, _

_Maddly Riddled_


	24. Not What You Seem

_You are all amazing! Thanks for taking the time to review! It does mean a lot._

* * *

The Costume Closet

The second Jared left, Serena rushed towards a gasping Rarity and propped her up. "Are you ok, Rarity?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah…I thin…think I'm f…f…fine." Rarity answered, standing up on her own.

"He didn't hurt you too bad did he?" Serena asked worriedly, keeping her arms out incase the girl fell down.

"I've be…been through worse."

Serena looked at the bite marks on the girl's neck that Jared had been referring to, "I hope not that much worse."

Rarity laughed nervously. "You sh…should go. If he's mak...making you train with the new…new…newborn vampires you ne…need rest."

"I'm not going to leave you here. Do you want me to find someone to heal you?"

"NO!" Rarity looked down hurriedly at her outburst, "I mean...I will b…be fine."

Serena frowned at the girl. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Rarity said.

"I'll see you later Rarity. And I swear, if I find a way to leave here, I'll make sure I bring you and as many other workers as I can."

Rarity smiled, nodding frantically. Serena gave her a weak smile before pulling open the door, "Please take care of yourself." With that Serena left the costume closet.

Once she was alone, Rarity's smile faded, her hair started to shorten and change into a dirty blond color. Her nose enlarged and her jaw squared out. After a few short seconds, instead of young Rarity standing there, it was Chace, bruised and battered. "See you soon," he grinned evilly.

* * *

"You look a little flushed Serena," commented a voice behind her as she walked through Midairne castle. "Everything ok?"

She spun around and noticed David smiling at her. "David, its you."

"Expecting the Easter bunny?"

"Well, if vampires are real, who knows what else is, right?"

David laughed. "So, Jared tells me you're going to be joining us tomorrow."

"Well, he mentioned something about training with the newborns, but I don't see how you would be there…?"

"Oh, that's what I do."

"You train vampires?" she asked in disbelief. "For what?"

"A war."

"A war? Are you kidding?"

"No."

"A war," she repeated, trying to think back to everything she had been told since she came here. Mel had mentioned something about a war… "With werewolves right?"

David nodded and put his hands behind his back. "Fighting for 6 centuries now."

"And this war started because a werewolf killed your king. Because that King wouldn't let said werewolf to join the coven?"

"Yeah that's right… who have you been talking to exactly? This isn't really accessible information for…"

"Slaves?" Serena offered.

David nodded.

"I hear things…" she replied as she turned to walk down the hallway.

"Well, you heard right," David responded, following her down the hallway. "And it's my job to make sure that the youngsters know how to fight in arm to arm combat."

"Oh really. And that's what Jared wants me to learn? Arm to arm combat?" Serena spared him a look of disbelief before continuing her stride.

"No, _I_ want you to learn arm to arm combat, _he_ wants to see how much strength you have."

Serena jerked to a stop and looked up at the Elder vampire.

"He wants to see the range of power that you have," David explained, stopping as well.

"Yeah, I got that. I told him I didn't know," she said angrily. "And why do you want me to learn how to fight?"

"Well, you're staying in a castle full of vampires for one thing, and if our war is going to start up again we could be attacked at any moment. It's better if everyone in the coven, free or not, knows how to protect themselves. That way other vampires don't have to defend you and then worry about the dogs attacking them."

"How noble," she commented sarcastically.

"_He_, on the other hand, probably thinks that some sort of power will come out when you're fighting."

"So why didn't he just beat me since I'm so defenseless and see what happened?" she suggested in annoyance.

"I don't know Serena," he said quietly. "But if you have as much power as the rumors say then you'll…"

"Rumors? What rumors?"

"Everyone's been talking ever since, well, ever since what happened with Chace."

Serena's eyes glazed over in anger. But before she could say anything, David interrupted.

"You managed to knock a vampire unconscious, Serena! And how? With a frying pan?" he questioned. "Now, don't get me wrong, you're a sweet girl, but you seem to have a tendency to lie. Generally I wouldn't care, but have you ever seen what happens to mortals when they cross vampires? They end up as little pieces of decoration all over the wall! There's no fighting a vampire, Serena. They have unbelievable strength, and when the virus kicks in, if you're not another immortal being, get the hell away from them. That's what every other person in this place would have done.

"But you, you _knocked him unconscious!_ And not only were you unmarked, he was out cold for three hours! Whatever happened in the 4th floor kitchen got everyone talking. But even before that, the way you smell, everyone seemed to notice it the moment you were brought into this castle."

"Really?" she snapped. "So what are they saying then? That I can move things with my mind? Or Superman strength? Lazer eyes? Or maybe that I can lure vampires to me with my scent and kill them with some kind of superpower! Well let me tell you a secret, I was born to two _humans,_ which would in turn make me human. So whatever it is that I can do must be some type of mutation, just like the Three said. Mine as well tell everyone!"

"But you killed one of the Three with a giant burst of energy, didn't you? Right before they could see what happened to you, to see what it is that you can do, or what you really are. So how do you know it's just a mutation?"

She glared at him, disregarding the question. "How did you know about what happened with the Three?" _But how did she know it was just some sort of mutation in her? What if it was something else? _

"I'm an Elder in the coven, it's my job to know."

She looked ready to snap, but stopped and took a deep breath. Calmly Serena said, "I didn't mean to do what I did, but I couldn't help it. Its not something I can control."

"Well, that's why we're going to train now isn't it?"

Serena looked at David for a long while before she started walking down the hallway again. She needed time to think about things. She wanted to figure some stuff out for herself before she was forced to fight some random vampires.

"Control! Look at all the control you have. Just what's on the agenda for tomorrow!" he declared happily. "Considering he's making you train with a bunch of newly made, blood lusting vampires, control is something they all need to learn."

"So you train them, Jared makes all your weapons, and Michael gets everyone money. Sounds like you vampires have everything sorted out." David grinned before she continued, "But you didn't tell me what else people are talking about. Do they all know that crazy waves of bright, white light shoot out from my body? Or is that just a fun fact you learned?"

David sighed. "No, they don't all know. That information has been kept confidential. Only some of the Elders know. But the coven knows you're strong and powerful. They know something's up Serena." He looked around before leaning in to whisper, "They say that you're the girl from the prophecy. They think that the blood running through your veins is going to save this coven and restore it to its former magnificence."

"And that's why Chace wanted me dead? Because I was going to save the coven when he wanted it to crumble?" At David's nod she finally did snap, "That's fucking stupid. I'm not apart of some prophecy! I'm just a girl from Nova Scotia! And if you haven't noticed, I want this place to burn!"

"That's just what you think now. Maybe you'll change your mind someday," David said knowingly. She had the feeling he knew something that he wasn't going to tell her.

"No, that's what I know, David. The first chance I get, I'm out of here."

"Serena, listen to me. If you do manage to leave here, he's going to find you. And when he does, he's going to make you wish you had died." He stopped in front of Serena's door and held it open for her. "Get some rest Serena, you're going to need it."

"Why haven't you said his name?" she questioned. When he didn't say anything she repeated, "Jared's name, why haven't you said it?"

"Because he's not Jared when he's like that. You of all people should have realized that by now. I'm sure that the actual Jared has talked to you at least once, so you would know that that monster isn't Jared. It's just wearing his skin. Now, get some rest, Serena, tomorrow's going to be a long night."

Serena sighed and nodded before walking inside. "You're right. Goodnight David…or morning. Whatever it is that you guys say to each other when its still light outside." He smiled. She was really going to have to get used to their sleeping schedule.

* * *

_"They're here. Run Serena, please!" Michael said, wincing as he clutched his bleeding side._

_"No Michael, not without you," Serena declared, bending over to help him up. _

_A horrific growl sounded behind her head and she felt a pang of dread in her stomach as she turned. Standing in front her was a towering beast, too hostel for words. A werewolf, she realized now. It stood 8 ½ feet tall with a thick coat of silver fur covering its entire body. Its ferocious snout opened to bare long, pointed, canine teeth, while it salivated slightly, looking down at the two of them._

_It raised a menacing paw and began to swing at them, when Serena felt an energy race through her. She started to glow with a blinding light and unleashed the energy in a circle around her and Michael, her dreamlike self-controlling the force to only touch the creature and not to harm them._

_The ring of fired light tore through the werewolf, throwing it backwards to land in an unmoving pile on the ground. Serena breathed heavily from the exertion, and pulled Michael more onto her shoulders. _

_Her head snapped up when she heard more footsteps coming towards her and noticed Shane. "Help me get him up," She felt herself say._

_Shane picked up his friend and began to run towards the trees just across from the in the yard they were standing in. Serena wanted to look around, but felt her dream-self running to catch up with him. _

_Unexpectedly she was painfully jerked back by something, and caught by a pair of arms before she fell. But then she felt an unimaginable pain as a knife was plunged quickly into her lower spine. She let out an earsplitting scream before she heard a familiar voice in her ear._

"_So much for prophecy," he whispered, extracting the cold metal and leaving her to fall to the ground. _

"Serena! Wake up!" Mel whispered as she shook Serena awake.

Serena sat up with a gasp, gulping in air as if she had been deprived of it. That dream, that was the same dream she had before Chace attacked her all those nights ago! Michael had been running towards her with an unhealed wound when the werewolf tried to attack them. Was this some sort of precognition? Or were all these stories of werewolves and the war causing her subconscious to fuse memories and imagination? She had killed it with her powers with such control and determination…would she ever reach that point? Could she control them like that? And she had been relieved to see Shane, definitely not something she felt about him at this moment in time. But she couldn't help but feel like this dream could come to pass. She could still feel the sharp pain where the metal had torn through all her bones and nerves in that dream.

She shook her head. She had to focus on the other details. The werewolves had attacked them, and if this wasn't a dream but a premonition, like she suspected, then she had to tell the Elders, David, Jared, anyone. They were going to be attacked.

She gripped the front of Mel's shirt and tried to speak, but her throat was dry. "Mel…Mel…"

"Serena, it was just a dream. Shh, just a dream," Mel said soothingly, gently tucking Serena's golden hair behind her ear. "Everything's alright, it was just a bad dream."

Serena's breathing slowed to a steady rhythm but she still hadn't let go of Mel's shirt. "No," she said hoarsely. "Not a dream. They're coming Mel, and soon. Just as soon as Michael gets out of the Abyss, they're going to be here."

"What? Serena, what are you talking about?"

"The werewolves, Mel! They're coming; they're going to attack. They hurt Michael, he was…he was injured…"

"Serena! Calm down, it was just a dream!"

"No!" Serena shouted, pushing the girl away from her. "It wasn't a dream! It's going to happen!"

Mel raised her hands, trying to sooth her friend. "Shh, Serena. It was just a dream! Michael, he's…he's not getting out any time soon."

"What?"

"He tried to escape the Abyss, Serena. But he got caught. He's in there for another six days."

"Are you kidding?" Serena asked incredulously.

"No. His punishment is another six days in that Godforsaken place."

Serena glanced around her room before getting up. She looked to be in a daze to Mel, unsure of anything.

Mel put out her arms incase she fell, but Serena knocked them away gently. "That means we have time to prepare."

"Serena, what are we preparing for?"

"An attack," she replied, moving about the room and throwing on clothes.

"They're always ready for an attack here, Serie."

Serena paused at the nickname; it was what Lana had called her all the time. Now Lana was dead, well, the living dead and she had made it quite clear that she would eat Serena if she got too close.

Sparing Mel a glance, she pulled on the rest of her clothing before opening the door. "I need you to take me to him."

"Serena, who are you talking about? It was just a _dream._ There's no need to frighten anyone about a dream._"_

She snorted. "Vampires frightened. Funny. If you don't take me to him I'll find him myself."

"Serena, who is him?"

"Drake," she said over her shoulder before disappearing behind the door.

"That's not good," Mel muttered before following her into the hall. "Serena, you're crazy!"

"Am I?"

"Yes," Mel said, quickly losing her breath. It was difficult to keep up with Serena's long strides. "No one goes looking for Drake. He summons you."

"Is that so? Well then, call me crazy."

"Serena!" Mel snapped, pulling her back.

"What?"

"Maybe you should find someone else, talk to them and figure out what all this means before you go to someone who could kill you just because you looked at them the wrong way."

Serena regarded Mel seriously for a long while. But then she sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll talk to David first. I'm supposed to see him today anyways."

Mel smiled unsurely. "Good. Good. I would have really hated to see a fight between Drake and Jared if Drake had killed you."

Serena didn't know whether she was joking or not. But Mel laughed nervously and began to lead her back down the hallway.

"Would you tell me what happened in this dream?" Mel asked softly.

"We were attacked, Michael and I. I was outside somewhere, by a forest. He was running towards me with a wound in his side and said they were here. That's when the werewolf came, tried to strike us and I…Shane came and killed it. Then you woke me up."

Mel didn't seem to notice Serena's hesitation, or her blatant lie. "Sounds terrible. I wonder if…" Mel paused.

"Wonder what?" Serena snapped.

"I wonder if what you dreamed werewolves look like bare any resemblance to what they actually do look like."

"Well, there's one way to find out."

Mel blanched. "How? You're not going to go find them are you?"

Serena laughed, "Pictures Mel, pictures."

The girl breathed out and flushed crimson. "Right."

"You think I would go off looking for them just to prove that my dream is real?"

"I don't know, Serena. I don't know what you'd do."

Serena and Mel began to walk again. "Jared asked me to bring you right to his room today, so he could lead you to the 1st floor basement, where all the training rooms are."

"Is that so."

"Yeah, he said he wanted to make sure you actually got there."

"And why would he think I wouldn't make it?" she asked caustically.

Mel laughed. "He seems to understand your desire for freedom," she said, stopping in front of his door. "Well, he's waiting for you."

"Thanks Mel," Serena whispered, staring at the door.

As Mel was about to turn to leave, she turned back. "Be careful today, Serena. Newborns are tricky vampires."

"What, compared to regular vampires?"

"Just be careful. Watch them. They'll do anything for blood, no matter how outrageous it seems."

"Thanks Mel."

And with that Mel turned down the hallway, only glancing back once before she was out of sight.

Serena sighed and looked at the door once again. She pressed her ear against it and heard water running. _Good, he's occupied _she thought before looking down both ends of the hallway. She closed her eyes and tried to remember anything and everything that she had been told since coming here. There had to be some clue that could lead her to the Leader of the Elders. Unfortunately, the only place she knew he would be was the Judgment room. That was the only place she had ever seen any of the Elders, except David. Did she dare venture off by herself to find the Elder Leader? Why did she even want to warn them about werewolves? She should just leave while she had the chance…

Her eyes snapped open and she began to walk down the hallway, not daring to look back.

A door suddenly opened on her left and she was then pulled into the room by her arm. She winced, and then realized where she was. _His_ room. Not Jared's simple room, but the room where she had first been bitten. The room where blood and chains decorated the walls, and a single blood-soaked bed lay not ten feet from where they stood.

"Were you going somewhere Serena?" Jared sneered, red eyes flashing in the darkness.

"Just for a stroll outside," Serena replied as she backed up against the door, looking away from him. Only to notice that he was barely covered in a white towel, water dripping off his built body and leaving little her imagination.

"Funny, Mouse, but I don't remember telling Mel to bring you outside for a _stroll_," he hissed, placing a large hand beside her head on the door.

"She…she had to leave," Serena stuttered, trying to look anywhere but at him. "And its looks as though I interrupted something so I'll just wait outside…"

He smirked, bringing himself closer to her, "I'm not letting you go outside."

"I meant outside the door."

"I know what you meant," he said, all the while pressing more against her. "And you're not interrupting anything. You could even join me if you liked."

Serena struggled to say something, but he laughed, stepping away from her and walking towards the door that would lead to his other room. "But as you know we have places to be. So maybe we can postpone this to another time," he said, dropping his towel with his back to her.

She stared after him and his nakedness. _Holy shit. _She thought.

* * *

_As always, thoughts and opinions are always welcome!_

_Maddly Riddled_


	25. William

_You are all amazing! Thanks for taking the time to review! It does mean a lot._

_So, the next little bit might be a little difficult to understand because it switches from the actual Jared, who we haven't seen much of (other then in chapter 21 where he comforts Serena), and the vampire Jared. WHO ARE TWO SEPERATE PEOPLE! yeah. SO! The vampire Jared is shown with **Jared **and the human personality of Jared is just Jared. BUT the vampire **Jared** will be given a different name in this chapter so I can make it clear who is who. _

_This may be a bit confusing and I'm sorry, so if you actually can't stand what I've done, let me know! If you dont care, let me know.__ If you like it, let me know! If it works or doesn't, give me a shout and I can see what I can do to fix it, but I need pointers.  
_

_ENJOY!_

* * *

Jared's Feeding Room

Jared soon emerged, fully clothed and red eyed, to find Serena leaning against the wall, staring at the floor.

He had smelled her the moment she came to stand in front of his door, even from the shower. Her scent was intoxicating, ensnaring his senses for a whirlwind of ecstasy. But knowing that it was like that for every other damned soul in this entire castle made his black blood burn in anger. She was supposed to be his! Jadis had said so.

So why was she so easily recognizable to every other vampire and not just him? The inner vampire growled with fury and came to emerge at that moment during his shower.

_But we do have a special bond with her_, **_the vampire _**thought to Jared. _Not only because of what she is 'supposed' to be to us, but because I have tasted her blood. Even if she didn't smell the way she did, I will still be able to detect her._ It was strange, talking to himself, but he was right. Anywhere she went, he would sense it. Anything she did, he would be aware of it.

When she had stood at the door, he could almost visualize her eyes closed, contemplating her options, before she began to walk down the hallway. He had thought she was running away from him, making a quick escape while he was preoccupied. And for some reason he couldn't bear the thought. He, one of the most feared and respected vampires throughout the world, was troubled by the thought of her not being there.

He was disgusted with himself. That was something the gentleman Jared should be thinking, NOT him.

But how would he react if she were suddenly gone_?_ Jared wasn't too sure, but **_he, _**the vampire,would search to the end of the earth and kill all those in his way to get her back.

But _why_? Because Jadis said this girl was his _mitad du alma,_ the other half of his soul? He snorted, _what soul?_ It was impossible.

Like he had mentioned to Serena before, things like that didn't happen to him. It happened for people who were pure and full of life. Obviously he was neither.

And **_he_**was determined to prove it wrong. It couldn't be right. Jadis was probably reading too many minds and getting brainwaves mixed.

But he could tell that Jared almost believed it to be true, and probably wished for it to be true. Because if he and Serena completed one soul, that would mean that Jared wasn't the monster, **_he_** was. However, if Serena and Jared were matched together by some strange cosmic power, then he was also somehow mixed into it all.

There were legends of vampires finding parts of their souls in other vampires, or in his case, a mutant human…or whatever she was. It is said that once two pieces of a soul were brought together there was no separating them. And if something happened to one half, the other would feel it as well, physically. He almost snorted in disbelief. _Yeah right. _

But as it were, he was obsessed with her for the time being. He wanted her in more ways then one and he wasn't sure how long it would be like that for. She also had the ability to let him emerge from Jared's subconscious. And due to that fact, the only way she would be leaving this castle was in a body bag.

With that thought **_the vampire_** had run from the shower, almost forgetting his towel, and pulled her back to him. She wasn't going to go anywhere.

* * *

Serena didn't meet his gaze as he came back into the room. She was too busy wishing the image of his derrière would leave her mind. She hugged her stomach uncomfortably and continued to stare at a pool of dried blood on the ground as a blush crept onto her face.

He grinned at her. "Come on, Mouse, we have places to be," he said, gripping her arm and leading her out the door.

She didn't say anything as his fingernails dug painfully into her arm, or when he stopped and pulled her in another direction.

He maneuvered them through the castle quickly, passing the numerous feeding rooms and the kitchen.

"I know you think my power is going to come out when I'm training today," Serena stated randomly.

"Really, and what gave you that idea?" Jared asked nonchalantly, not looking at her as they walked.

"It won't emerge," she repeated, ignoring his question. "The power won't come out when I'm fighting. It only does when I seem to be mortally threatened," she muttered the last part, but he still seemed to hear it.

He suddenly stopped and looked at her. His upper lip curled and his eyes flared, but he did nothing more then look at her. "Is that so," he said through gritted teeth.

"Yes that's so. And why are you so angry? I haven't even done anything yet!"

"You don't have to do anything! Just your mere presence pisses me off! Now hurry up, they're going to be starting soon."

And with that he practically dragged her down the flights of stairs, not saying anything else, not even so much as glancing at her.

_What is his problem? Fucking bipolar much?_ She thought to herself. _Just before he was asking me to join him in the shower! Did I say something to set off a time bomb?_ She had no idea that the very idea of her being half of his soul had him in such a pissy mood.

As they descended the last set of stairs, Serena's heart began to pound, and her breathing deepened. She was about to put into a room with a bunch of newborn vampires that could barely managed to control their bloodlust. She could possibly be dead in five minutes.

"Going to pass out Gabriella?" he sneered, sparing her a single glance.

"No _William_," she snapped, trying to calm herself down. "I thought I told you Gabriella died when my parents did?"

"What did you call me?" he asked, somewhat amused, and completely ignoring her other statement.

"I called you William," she explained in annoyance. "Because you aren't Jared, and you only do things for your own desire, so I called you William. The name means you only do things for your own will or wants. I think it suits you perfectly."

"What happened to Jared?"

"That's not you're name, now is it? It's just something you're borrowing, just like that body."

He raised a brow at her before letting out a chilling laugh. "Touché, Gabriella. And from what I've noticed, you wouldn't mind using this body as well."

Serena flushed crimson and continued walking, refusing to look at him.

He laughed again and followed her through the halls before taking the lead.

He soon stopped in front of a large metal door and turned to her. "Do whatever they tell you. I don't want to hear that you caused trouble. That just means more for me later."

Serena blanched. "You're not coming?"

"No, places to be, people to see." He seemed annoyed and distant. That was something the vampire side, William as she was going to call him from now on, had never been before. Usually he couldn't keep his hands to himself, now he wanted nothing to do with her.

She was going to hyperventilate. Even though she hated him more then anyone she had ever met, he protected her from the other vampires, well everyone except himself. He was just going to leave her with a bunch of vampires?

"But…but…Oh my god I'm going to have a panic attack." Serena's breathing quickened in pace, and her breaths became short and hitched.

The door in front of them began to swing open but _William _shouted her name.

"Serena!" He had succeeded in drawing her attention away from the door and to himself, but before she could so much as look up at him, he pulled her in for a crushing kiss. It was short and brutal, but she could feel the swelling of her lips from contact with his.

He broke away from her with an angry growl and strode down the hallway.

She was left standing there dazed and completely confused until a throat cleared from behind her.

There in the doorway stood David, with raised brows and a secret smile playing on his lips. About a dozen newborn vampires stood behind him, all staring hungrily at her.

"Hey David," she whispered fearfully, and still somewhat confused.

* * *

_As always, thoughts and opinions are always welcome!_

_Maddly Riddled_

_Some answers to questions:_

_-The war is coming, but lots has to happen before that! _

_-Michael is coming back! But I cant tell you more.  
_

_-The Prophecy will be written out sooner or later._

_-We'll see if that dream she keeps happening is a premonition or not ;)  
_


	26. Training Room

_How is everyone doing? I__ts great to see that people are still interested in the story and havent given up on it! :D_

_I know I'm awful, and you may call me as many names as you want in your reviews, I deserve it. But I hope this next chapter will reignite your interest in the story and keep reading. _

_Your support means a lot. All reviews are answered at the bottom. _

_ENJOY!  
_

* * *

The 1st Floor Basement (NOT the cannibals, they are way further down)

"Welcome to your first day of training," David said, stepping aside to let her walk in.

Serena tentatively took a step into the room, immediately noticing the numerous weapons decorating the walls, as well as the mirrors that surrounded her. Within those mirrors, stared over a hundred red-eyed newborns, all containing the same hungry look.

She faltered in her step, fear rising in her throat at the loathing in their eyes, the thirst.

David eventually grabbed her arm and physically pulled her into the room, glaring at the newborns around them.

As she was forced to step forward, she realized there were only a handful of newborn vamps, not a room filled to the entirety of them. The mirrors had been quadrupling reflections, which was strange because she always thought vampires didn't cast a reflection… She'd ask someone about that later.

"Now, if any of you so much as lay a hand on her, you'll be getting your first trip down to the Abyss, got it?" David snapped, leading her into the room to stand in front of the class.

The newborns snarled in response, baring two-inch canines but otherwise doing nothing.

"Then how exactly will she be training if none of us are allowed to so much as touch her?" asked a voice hidden in the corner of the room.

Everyone in the room looked around when the voice sounded, caught completely off guard, but quickly gained a defensive stance. They weren't used to people, or things sneaking up on them now that they had superhuman senses.

Out of the shadows, as if from nowhere, stepped the seductive Lestat smirking at Serena and then the overly defensive David.

Serena had jumped in fright when she heard his voice, seeming to have immediately registered who he was by the sound of his silky smooth voice.

Chills of fear ran up and down her spine as she witnessed him emerging from the shadows, hands clasped behind his back with an air of arrogance and superiority. The one and only Lestat; Jared's sire. If any of the stories about him were remotely or perhaps loosely based on the truth, she did NOT want to be around this vampire.

David frowned, "One of us will partner with her," he remarked, referring to Lestat's comment. "She's the odd man out anyways."

Lestat's smirk widened, showing part of his pointed fangs, "I will."

David nodded and turned away from Serena to stand in front of the group of vampires.

Serena looked disbelievingly at David. _Was he actually serious? Did David not see the crazed look Lestat was giving her? If anything he scared her more then all the newborns! _

Lestat glided towards her, the strange glint in his eyes growing as he approached. When he came to stand in front of her she noted he wasn't that much taller than herself. Perhaps a couple of inches taller.

He bowed his head respectfully, but his eyes trailed down her body and back up as he did so. "Miss Serena, I have yet to properly introduce myself. I am Lestat, Elder of the coven Midairne." Before the last word had left his lips, he grasped her hand and placed her fingers to his lips.

Serena pulled her hand out of his quickly and smiled uncomfortably. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Lestat said, bowing his head once again, but never breaking eye contact.

Serena shifted on her feet awkwardly and hugged her stomach, feeling more and more awkward by the second. Yet his eyes never left hers, even as David cleared his throat for everyone's attention.

"Now, we begin today's lesson continuing…LANA!" David shouted as a hard, solid form collided with Serena.

The air was knocked completely from her lungs as the petite, dark haired newborn vampire landed on top of her in the training room. Although thankful for the loss of eye contact between her and Lestat, she wished it had been in some other way then getting attacked.

Shouts and cheering could be heard throughout the room but Serena barely acknowledged them, too preoccupied with the jaw snapping a couple of millimeters from her face. Lana, having attacked Serena off guard, now straddled the blond, gripping her neck tightly and hitting her whenever the opportunity emerged.

Serena groaned in frustration as she tried to keep the teeth from tearing off her face, keeping one of her hands below Lana's chin and the other on the vampire's forehead. To Serena's dismay, even with her supernatural strength, she was having difficulty holding the raging virus driven vampire back. Lana seemed to be somehow stronger then other vampires, and she wasn't quite sure why.

Serena's breaths came out in short bursts with her exertion, inwardly begging for her unnatural powers to present themselves.

As if hearing the call, the tingling sensation began to gather in her chest, slowly stretching out across her body to cover her in shaking gooseflesh.

"Lana," Serena managed to grit out before she lost all control of the energy gathering on her skin, "It's me, Serena."

But the bloodthirsty vampire thrashing on top of her was beyond conscious thought. The need for blood had consumed her dead best friend, and there was no way to stop her unless Serena knocked her out completely. With a sigh, well more like a groan because Serena was still trying to fight for her life, the energy began to consume her causing her skin to glow with a bright white light.

The room immediately hushed as they all watched in amazement at the glowing girl before them. The light was so intense some of them even had to look away.

And just as she was about to lose control, Lana was knocked away from her in a swift motion. Serena gasped in as much air as she could, feeling as if a 2000-pound truck had just been lifted off her. When she was capable of coherent thought, the first thing she wondered was_, Who had saved her?_

When she could finally breath normally, she noticed that David had Lana pinned to the ground in a headlock, firmly shutting the newborn's mouth to prevent any further use of the sharp teeth.

A series of jeers rang throughout the room as Serena rose on her feet.

"Enough!" shouted Lestat, bringing instant order to the entire room.

As soon as the room silenced, a loud ear splitting crack sounded. Serena, as well as everyone else, turned a startled glance to David.

She let out a terrified gasp when she saw Lana's neck dangling from her body at a very wrong angle. David had snapped Lana's neck. "David!" Serena freaked, rushing over to the vampire that had just attacked her seconds before. _Well, she's still my friend somewhere inside…._

"Relax Serena," David said, getting to his feet slowly.

Serena in turn dropped to her knees and started to try to shake Lana awake, "What the hell have you done?"

"Serena!" David said a little louder, getting her full attention. "She's already dead. That just knocks her out for a short while; she'll heal in a couple of hours. And I suggest you not be around her when she does, eventually, gain feeling."

Still, Serena looked down at Lana, whom she had cradled in her arms. "Are you sure?"

"For Akakios' sake!" shouted Lestat angrily. "She just tried to kill you! Why do you care?"

Serena turned a murderous look onto Lestat. "She happens to be one of my closest friends! I care a great deal for her safety! Even though she keeps trying to kill me, she's suffering from a disease. Its not her fault she craves blood night and day!"

Before Lestat could retort, which he looked like he really really wanted to, a newborn had gathered up the courage to stand beside them. "What the hell was that?" he asked in anger.

"What was what?" David asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Elder! We all just witnessed this _slave _GLOWING!"

"I believe young Jared has been holding out on us," commented Lestat dangerously quiet as he stared at the golden haired girl in front of him. There was an indiscernible look in his eyes that had chills running up and down Serena's spine, and not in a good way.

"You saw nothing!" snapped David. "It was a trick of the light, that's all. These fluorescence do nothing but deceive our immortal eyes."

The young male newborn's nostrils flared, but he said nothing more, backing away from them slowly to the circle of newborns on the other side of the room.

"Now, Angus, take Lana up to her room and we can continue the lesson. Where was I?"

"Somewhere about continuing from yesterday," Lestat offered with his _I-couldn't-care-less-because-I'm-better-then-you _voice, seeming to have forgotten the spectacle that had just occurred before them.

"Right, we begin today's lesson continuing blocking from yesterday. Everyone partner up and we can get started." He walked over to where Serena and Lestat stood and said, "This is her first class, so just go over the basics and depending on her progress she can join in with the rest of the newborns later."

"I think you'll find I am quite aware of how to train a student, if you remember it was I who taught you all you know now," Lestat said condescendingly.

David smiled, not at all affected by his words, "Not everything, Old Vamp," he commented with a wink.

Serena stuttered to say something, to complain, anything to get her away from Lestat. He really made her feel way too uncomfortable. She couldn't stop thinking of every single detail she had read about him in the Anne Rice novels. The torturous things he had done over the years, all the people he killed, all the ways he had killed them. Not too pleasant.

"May…Maybe he should teach the whole class then, David, since he is more experienced. Then you can partner off with me."

David grinned, "Don't worry Serena, he'll go easy on you, I promise." And with that he walked away from them, leaving them alone in the corner of the very large training room.

Lestat smirked at her, "Nice try darling, but I've been waiting a long time to get a chance to talk to you and I'm not going to pass up the opportunity."

"I thought you were supposed to train me."

"Oh I am, but that's no reason we can't maintain civilized conversation."

"Why? What could you possibly have to talk to me about?"

"Well for instance, there's a sort of _glow _about you that I find rather appealing, especially since no one seems to be aware of it…well," he laughed, "everyone except those in this room. Not even the Elders had any knowledge."

_David did, _she thought to herself. _David knows that I lost control of the power and killed on of the Three. _

"Then there's the fact that my son Jared can't withstand the virus long enough when you're around to make out two coherent sentences and…"

"Jared, or should I say William, as I've come to call him, seems to be **crazy**, and there's no logical reason as to why he acts the way he does around me. As I'm sure you've heard and most likely witnessed, he's very bipolar in his virus state. As for me, if you were hoping for answers to all the questions that I'm sure you have, then you'll have to find them somewhere else. I don't know why I seem to glow, or what it does."

Lestat smirked, "Oh I'm sure you do, Serena. I think you know a little something about this power that you must have, and you are going to tell me, one way or another."

As he began to circle around her, Serena was strangely reminded of William. So this was where he got his crazy from.

It was undeniable the similarities between them, and no wonder, Lestat had sired Jared…and William. But there was something subtle in the way Lestat went about things. He wasn't brute force like William, oh no, Lestat much preferred the intellectual approach. More like he would play with your mind until you eventually told him anything and everything about you.

And now she was stuck being trained by him. Great.

* * *

_So, did you enjoy it? There's not really anything exciting happening at this moment, but I need to get my thoughts back together for the story so it was a teaser, I guess you could say._

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_Maddly Riddled_


	27. The Real Jared

_Wow, you guys are awesome with all the reviews! Well, here's another chapter, enjoy! It's not the best, but it will have to do! _

_Reviews at bottom :D_

* * *

1st Floor Basement- Training Room

"I'm sure Jared…oh, sorry, what was it that you called him? William?" he asked, circling around her tauntingly. When she said nothing he grinned maliciously, "William then. I'm sure _William_ has already been through this talk with you, probably even demonstrated what would happen if you defied him, but," he sighed dramatically. "I don't work like that. I'm willing to wait for my answers, I can be very patient."

Serena turned to face him, frowning. "So…what? You're just going to wait until I tell you?" she asked disbelievingly.

Lestat smiled, a true genuinely smile, which surprised her because he didn't seem capable of such an emotion that would merit a genuine smile... "What do you think I am Serena? A monster? I wouldn't force you to do anything you didn't want to."

But she could also see in his eyes the glimmer of red, of anger, of the _virus_.

He might have be an exceptionally good liar, which one could expect with all the time he's had to practice, but she could tell he was lying. He wasn't going to sit back, be a good little boy and wait patiently for anything. He was going to force it out of her in one-way or another, perhaps not with brute strength, but there were other ways that could be just as painful.

Serena stepped away from him and sneered, "I don't believe anything you say Lestat. I know you; your reputation, and I know you're lying. Do whatever you want to me, but I still won't tell you anything, not even my date of birth."

Lestat's smile was wiped from his face at her words. He took a menacing step towards her, but stopped. He looked as though he was trying very hard to keep his anger under control. He took another step towards her, but otherwise did nothing. He remained passive, staring at her. "I see why Jared has so much trouble with you, Serena."

Serena's frown deepened. "Because I tell people the truth? I say what they don't want to hear?"

He grinned again. "Precisely. Now! Training. Lets start with your stance shall we?" he said, as if the previous conversation had not even taken place.

She stared at him incredulously. _These vampires are going to drive me crazy, _she thought.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent having Lestat teach her basic martial arts steps, resting positions, stances, and breathing exercises.

She had looked at him like he had grown a third head when he said he was going to teach her how to breathe properly. "But you don't even breathe!" she exclaimed.

"Doesn't mean I forgot how," he retorted, continuing his lecture.

And even though she was still creeped out by him, he was a fountain of knowledge. He seemed to know every detail about anything she asked regarding their training. She didn't want to admit it, but she was learning a lot from him.

However, as soon as she forgot the monster he was no doubt capable of being, she was instantly reminded with the lingering hand in places it shouldn't be, or how he would stand too close to her, touch her when their was no need.

Serena didn't know what he was trying to do, but she didn't like it. At this moment in time even William's presence was more preferred to his sire's.

"Alright, that's it for today. The sun will be up in a couple of hours," David announced throughout the room.

"Thank god," she whispered, wiping some of the sweat from her forehead.

"Tomorrow, sundown, right here Serena," Lestat commented before leaving the room.

She shivered outwardly, but threw on a beaming smile for David's benefit as he came towards her.

"So, how did it go?" David asked happily. "He wasn't too hard on you right?"

"No, not at all," she replied, keeping up her fake, chipper demeanor. She didn't know why she felt the need to lie to David, but she could tell she had to.

"What did you do?" he questioned, leading them towards the doors as the last of the newborns filed out.

"Um…basic steps, lunges, proper sitting, some breathing techniques. I guess just general things, right?"

"Seems like it. Well I'm glad everything worked out today. When Lana jumped you earlier I thought she had ripped your neck! For a moment there I really thought you were a goner."

"Yeah, me too. But thanks for stepping in, I really appreciate it," Serena said genuinely as they ascended the stairs.

"What do you mean?" David asked, his brows knitting in confusion.

"You know, thanks for pulling Lana off."

"Serena," David said, stopping to look as her, "that wasn't me. I just held her down after he pushed her aside."

"He who?"

"Lestat."

* * *

"Drake, I need to talk to you," Jared said, marching into the Lead Elders office.

Jadis and Drake looked up from their individual seats within the latter's office. Drake's eyes burned a fearsome black as they gazed up at him from the winged armchair behind his desk. Their color always made Jared wonder what was so different about their Leader. From what Jared had heard, Drake's eyes had never turned red, just black.

"Now's not the best time Jared…" Jadis started, but Drake cut her off.

His low baritone voice reverberated off the walls as he spoke, "Dementia's been taken by the Lycans, Jared."

Jared physically pulled back from them in disbelief. Drake's daughter Dee? Kidnapped by Lycans? "How? She's the greatest assassin that we've ever had! How could she get caught?"

Drake hit the desk in an outburst of anger. "I don't know! Why don't you go ask the fucking dogs how they managed to kidnap her?"

"Drake, he's just been caught off guard, no need to lose your temper," intervened Jadis softly, she knew, as well as everyone else, how Drake's temper made even William look like an angel. "Chace led her right to them," she told Jared. "We only just found out. She's always gone so long from home without ever contacting us we didn't think anything of her disappearance. We assumed she was just doing a thorough job of her assignment. It was only yesterday that someone picked up her scent in the forest, drenched with the smell of four lycans."

_Shouldn't they know better than to assume anything anymore? We're in a war for Akakios' sake,_ He thought to himself. "And you also found Chace's tracks out in the forest as well?"

Jadis nodded her head, but Drake slumped back in his chair, looking far off into the wall.

"Our guess is Dementia had been tracking a group of werewolves who had been keeping an eye on our castle. We assume she set out to kill them. That's when she would have run into Chace, literally from what the tracks tell us. He avoided a confrontation and doubled back at a run through the trees, leading Dementia into the trap."

"And now _they_ have her," Drake whispered dangerously.

"If the Lycans find out who she is they'll use her against you, against the coven. They know what she means to you, Drake, but fortunately not of her role in the coven." Jared pointed out.

"Don't you think I know that boy?" shouted Drake, standing up again, and in the next moment was two breaths from his face. Jared hated super speed. "They could be doing anything to my daughter as we speak."

"Do we send someone after her?" Jadis asked.

Drake stepped away from Jared and collapsed in his seat, putting his head in his hands on the desk. "No."

"But Sire," protested Jared. He, as well as everyone in the coven, knew how much that girl meant to their Elder, as well as Brett, the pierced vampire.

"No. We can do nothing. If we send a retrieval party they will use her to gain the advantage, then end up killing them all. We cannot risk losing any more members of this coven."

"She's strong. She will make it through," Jadis offered sympathetically.

"Maybe," Drake whispered before putting his head in his hands.

* * *

Serena slowed her pace as she approached her room, dreading what she would find behind its door. Was William waiting for her there? What plans would he have in store for her tonight?

Just as she was about to turn the handle on the 4th floor bedroom, her name was called out.

She turned to see Jared walking towards her with a meaningful stride. "Serena," he repeated as he stood in front of her.

"Do you need something?" she asked coldly.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I understand that the virus…"

"William," Serena interrupted quickly, realizing that it was indeed Jared, not William.

Jared tilted his head and looked at her, not quite sure what she was saying. "What?"

"William, the virus part of you. I call him William now."

"Oh…um…ok? Well, I understand William brought you to the newborn training session today," he continued, looking at her strangely.

She felt like shouting, 'you're the one with the split personality, stop staring at me like I'm crazy!' but she refrained, instead just nodding her head.

"How did they react? Did they hurt you at all?"

Serena was taken aback by his genuine concern. "You seriously want to know?" she asked, mistrusting him. She stared into his eyes, but there weren't any traces of red, just the natural stormy blue color.

Then she realized she had never really talked to the real Jared for any length in time. He had always disappeared into his subconscious when she was around, making room for William to come forth in the body they shared.

"Of course I want to know. I, although indirectly, forced you to go down there, and I want to make sure you are alright."

"Yes, I'm…I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

They stood in front of each other, somewhat awkwardly for a couple of moments before Serena blurted out, "I don't think we've ever really met, Jared. But I'm Serena."

"Yeah, I know. Its just…well I guess you're right, we haven't actually ever really met…" he agreed, taking her outstretched arm.

His large hand wrapped around hers gently, his touch sending an electric shock through her. She pulled back quickly from him as her eyes widened.

He gaped at her as she placed a hand over her accelerated heartbeat, "I'm sorry. Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I'm alright, it's just…what was that?" she said, almost out of breath.

Jared didn't answer right away. He knew what it was, and it made him afraid, but excited and hopeful at the same time. Maybe what Jadis had said really was true. But before he could say anything Serena began to glow, a bright and brilliant white light that emitted from her entire body. She was illuminating the whole hallway with her blinding light, causing Jared to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness.

"What's happening?" She asked loudly, staring at her glowing hands.

Jared tried to move towards her, but every time he glimpsed at her he had to cover his eyes once again. The light was too bright. "I don't know!" he shouted back.

"How do I stop it?" Serena demanded in a panic. This had never happened to her before. The only time she glowed was when she felt an immediate danger, but she hadn't felt threatened at all with Jared. If anything he seemed like an all right person, gentle when he held her hand…he held her hand, _Oh my God, _she thought. _That was it!_

Their contact had caused this reaction from her…but why?

"Just try letting it go! You're gathering energy, let it go!" he suggested, still helplessly trying to shield his eyes.

"But I'll hurt you!"

"No, you won't, I promise. Just let it go!"

Serena's breathing quickened as she looked around for somewhere to hide in. She wasn't going to let go of the energy and hurt him, even if he thought nothing would happen to him.

But before she could reach the door handle the power overwhelmed her, erupting from her body, causing her to feel as if she had run for three days straight. She collapsed to the floor in a heap as she watched the light spread through the room in a shockwave before slowly inching its way back into her skin.

She inhaled deeply and looked for Jared. "Jared!" she called out worriedly.

"I'm here Serena, I'm ok," he replied, kneeling beside her. "Are you ok?"

"How are you...? What the hell! How are you still standing?" she demanded, although she was happy to see that he hadn't been injured, it was incredibly suspicious that nothing had actually happened to him. He wasn't knocked out, not injured either from what she could tell, unlike Chace, who had been knocked out cold by the same energy just days before. _How did he do that?_

"I thought you didn't want to hurt me?" he teased, grinning boyishly. He tenderly tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear before helping her to her feet. At her frown he lost the smile and attempted to explain. "When William, as you've come to call him, first witnessed your power he invested in a magical amulet that would protect him from all types of supernatural powers. He wasn't too sure what you were capable of so he made it to defend him from…well everything I guess. And since he never takes it off, I never take it off."

"So you're saying that whatever I do wont have any effect on you?"

"Well, if you hulk out again I'm sure you could inflict some physical pain," he laughed. "But anything mystical that you do wont hurt us at all."

"Wow," Serena said, finally noticing that she was walking beside him, his arm circled around her waist keeping her in place next to him, the other arm holding her up by her shoulders.

"Yeah."

They didn't say anything for a while as they walked back towards her room.

"What was that back there?" she questioned tiredly.

"Well, I don't know if you noticed but you glowed a very bright light…" he started in an amused tone.

She hit him gently before letting out a soft laugh. "I didn't mean that. When our hands touched, did you not feel it? There was a shock that went through me."

"Me too," he whispered, not teasing anymore.

"Why?" she asked, stopping to stand in front of him. She looked up at him, not hating his domineering height as much when it was Jared looking back at her. He didn't seem to want to cause her hyper intensive pain unlike _some _vampires.

He returned her gaze intensely, searching her eyes for something he wasn't quite sure of. "Did William ever tell you what you were supposed to be to me?" he questioned quietly.

She shook her head. William had always referred to her as being something that they couldn't possibly have, but he never really said what that was. _"Only those of pure light and giggles get what Jadis said you were to me. But you can't be. It's not possible." _

Jared took a step closer to her, barely inches away. He raised a hand slowly to her face, but never quite touched her. He looked as though he wanted to, but his hand never made contact with her cheek. But then he took that final step that brought them right against each other.

She looked up at him, feeling the heat passing between their bodies as they touched. The shock once again ran through her, but not as obvious as before. She didn't know what was drawing her to him in this very moment but it seemed…right. She felt the connection between them, not sure whether it was mystical or not, but there was definitely something there. Her skin began to prickle again with intense energy but she withheld the power from exposing itself, even though she knew it wouldn't hurt him.

So they stood there, gazing into each other's eyes, wondering what all of this could mean.

His hand finally touched her cheek, and the electric shock renewed itself. This time she couldn't withhold all the energy burning inside of her, and her skin began to glow once again. However, it wasn't bright enough to be blinding this time, she made sure of that, and Jared stared at her in awe. "You're beautiful," he whispered.

She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder, savoring the feeling that was coursing through her. She was content and relaxed in his arms, and she didn't know why, but she was happy to stay where she was.

They were unaware of the amount of time that passed as they stayed where they were in the middle of the hallway, just comfortable in each other's presence.

"So what am I to you?" she whispered.

"My soul."

* * *

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_Maddly Riddled_


	28. Or Not Jared

_Oh, I love you guys. Your reviews had me smiling for days! _

P.S Evil Side of Jared=William. They share the same body! Dont forget that even though there's a name change!

And I'd love to hear from all those people who read but never write! ;)

* * *

Fourth Floor Hallway

Her eyes closed and her breath hitched at hearing those words escape his lips. _Was it true?_

She looked up at him and knew from his eyes that he believed it to be true. That she was his soul.

Without thinking she pressed her lips to his.

She had taken him by surprise, but he unexpectedly kissed her back, parting her lips with his to taste her. Those same soft lips that had caused her unbelievable torture from another user, moved rhythmically with hers, bringing forth a passion that had been hidden deep within an unknown part of her.

It felt right to be kissing him, as if this was where she was destined to be, in his arms. The feeling was strange, dazing, but absolutely perfect. She felt like she had never been whole until this very moment in her life.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, attempting to bring him closer into her.

His hands pulled against her lower back, pulling her flush against something very hard. His kiss deepened, his lips now hungrily moving against her mouth. She responded with her own passion, thrusting her tongue inside his mouth. He tasted so good. As their tongue tangoed within their mouths he moved them against the wall, pressing her back into it. His hands began to run up and down her length, gently fondling all he could touch.

She pulled back with a groan and threw her head back as he ran kisses down her neck, all the while pulling one of her legs up around his waist.

Her breathing was increasing, her heartbeat racing. What was he doing to her? She had never wanted anyone more in her life then she wanted him. She gasped when he licked a sensitive part on her neck, but as suddenly as this started, she suddenly wanted it to stop. Something started to feel strange and this wasn't a good strange. He felt different. His muscled tensed, his kissing violent.

She removed her leg from around his waist quickly and stood trying to push him away from her. This wasn't right... _he_ suddenly didn't feel right. He resisted her, continuing his onslaught on her neck.

"No," she whispered, pushing against his chest in anger. "No!"

She gasped in pain when she felt his teeth plunge into her neck. The pain was overpowering, and she felt herself start to tingle with the energy rising in her chest once more, this time out of fear.

Knocking him away with her super human strength, she glared down at him, gripping her neck tightly. Blood was trailing right down her neck and staining her shirt. If she didn't keep pressure to it she was sure she would pass out.

He grinned up at her with burning red eyes, "Hey Mouse."

"William, what the hell are you doing out?" she hissed. No wonder she had suddenly been opposed to their physical intimacy; William had emerged. And he had completely ruined her moment with the real Jared.

"You didn't miss me at all?" he asked, holding his heart in feigned pain. "I'm offended!"

"Shut up," she snapped, moving herself even further away from him on the wall.

He grinned devilishly and stood in one swift motion. "What's wrong love? Did I ruin a perfectly good make out opportunity? It seems like everyone's getting some action around here except for me! Don't I deserve a little attention?"

"You deserve to live out the rest of your immortal days in hell."

"Well, you see," he began, stepping predatorily towards her, "I'm already there."

She felt her back collide with the corner of the wall and realized he had backed her into a dead end. _Shit _she thought.

He suddenly grinned, revealing two very pointed and very sharp eyeteeth. "No really, I've been to hell, and it's actually not as bad as you would think. Jared didn't have such a fun time, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. All those lost tortured souls, just suffering their punishment for eternity." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, as if to savor an old memory.

"You disgust me," she whispered dangerously.

He laughed, a manic laugh that didn't have any feeling behind it whatsoever, throwing his head back at her outrageous comment. "I disgust you? That's rich Mouse, considering you were just molesting me against a wall! Do you always kiss people that you hate?"

Her eyes burned with murderous hatred. If there wasn't another person living inside of that body, she would kill him, she had no doubt. "I don't have anything to say to you, William," she said, turning away from him.

He snarled. She was going to turn her back on him like he was beneath her? He grabbed her arm painfully and spun her to face him. "You may have nothing to say, but I cant say the same, Mouse. We have unfinished business to discuss," he growled, dragging her towards his bedroom, the blood chamber.

She struggled uselessly against his grasp, but he threw open the door and shoved her inside in a matter of seconds, locking the door behind him and tucking the key into his pants pocket.

She stood defiantly in the center of the room, refusing to acknowledge his stare by looking at the floor. She had hoped to never enter this room again, but her hopes meant little in this place.

"If you remember the promise you made to me, Serena, you said you would not only train with those stupid newborns, but you would also tell me everything. All of your little secrets, all the things that you wanted to keep from the mind readers."

"All my secrets? What secrets? Nothing's ever been a secret. I haven't hidden anything from you that you couldn't have found out on your own, which is exactly what you seem to have already done!"

"Maybe I just want to hear you say it?"

"To what point and purpose? To make me feel more guilt then I already do about every single mistake I've ever made in my entire life?"

He was suddenly right in front of her, inches from her face, a terrible glare across his face. "To figure out what's the truth. To figure out this little story in which you are the star, Gabriella Smith."

She remained mutinously quiet as she stared back into those burning red eyes.

"I can always rip out that poor excuse for a girl's throat!" he threatened, referring to Rarity, the girl he had almost killed to get her to agree to his stupid demands in the first place.

"Don't you dare drag her back into this!" she hissed, stepping even closer to him in her anger. "I'll answer your questions, but they wont be anything you haven't heard before."

"I want to know why you just glowed like the sun, Serena. I want to know if you felt the way he did, I want to know what it was that passed between you as soon as the two of you touched, and I want to know every single experience with the power you've ever had, even the ones I've already been a witness to."

"You saw all of that?" she had been momentarily taken off guard due to the fact that William was aware of everything that Jared did within their shared body. Was Jared then aware of everything that William did as well? She regained her composure quickly, ignoring his last demand.

"I experienced everything he did in that moment, enough to make me sick! What is it with soulful beings?" he muttered the last part in disgust, stepping away from her to wonder about the room.

She kept her eyes on the clean spot floor, not wishing to see the torturous devices lining the walls, or the remaining flesh covering other pieces of the floor.

"Serena," he sing songed dangerously, "you're not answering my questions."

"You haven't asked me any questions," she snapped. "Just declared 'wants'."

He was suddenly behind her, pulling her back into him, making her gasp in surprise. His arms circled around her stomach in a vice grip, and he leaned in close to her ear to whisper, "Why did you glow? You weren't threatened or in danger of anything, so why were you lighting up the hallway like the 4th of July?"

"I…I don't know," Serena managed to stutter out.

"What were you feeling at the time?"

"Happiness, lo…" she stopped and there was an awkward pause between them.

"Say it," he hissed in her ear, gripping even closer into him.

"Love."

"For Jared?" he sneered.

"Yes," she whispered back, beginning to feel the fear that rose in her throat every time he was like this with her.

He then pushed her away from him, snorting in derision. "Love!" he shouted out. "You love a man you've only seen, what, two times? You hadn't even formally met until just now!"

She turned to face him quickly, her face contorted in anger. "You asked me what I felt and I told you! There's no need to voice your harsh judgments! I am aware that I've only spoken to him twice, the first time I barely remember," she whispered this last part, but he still heard her.

"Then tell me, Mouse, what is it about him that makes you quiver in your panties?"

She gave him the worst glare she could muster, wishing that her powers allowed her to kill with just a look. "I don't know what it is about him that makes me care for him, but when I touched him, I knew. We are going to be together, no matter what you or anyone else says to try and ruin it."

"Strong words Serena. But I doubt you've really thought things all the way through. A strong physical attraction isn't love, just lust. And I know that's all he feels for you. He may not be able to see it, but once he's had you, he'll get over you and move on."

Serena frowned, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "No he won't. We both felt something. We connected on a level that you will never be able to comprehend. I'm not just a piece of meat to him, like I am to you."

He turned to face her again, a sadistic grin on his face. "Which reminds me of another promise you made to me, Mouse."

She took a step away from him, fearing what was going through this vampire's head. "Which would be?"

"When Nikolas had Mel, when he was torturing her, you promised me something," he started mockingly, taking taunting steps towards her once again, an evil glint in his eyes that made her eyes widened in realization. "For Mel's safety you promised me that I could do whatever I wanted with you after I helped poor, troubled Mel. Well, it's been _days_ and you haven't given me anything that I've wanted. Its time to repay a debt, Serena."

* * *

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_Maddly Riddled_


	29. Always Keep Your Promises

_SO, I felt I had to split this chapter up because for those who don't like naughty, dirty things you can read this chapter and skip the next entirely. Just wait for the chapter 31 and then the story continues. You wont be missing anything that contributes to the plot of the story in the NEXT chapter. But I want to give fair warning (a chapter early lol) because I DO NOT want this story reported. _

_Reviews are acknowledged at the bottom. The next chapter will go up a little later._

_Enjoy_

_Maddly Riddled_

_P.S Inspiration from Johanna Lindsey_

_**P.S.S Would people read a story about Dementia and her time with the werewolves? Because I had sudden inspiration for that idea, and it would tie into this story quite well. **_

* * *

William's Room- 4th Floor

She shook her head furiously, raising her arms to defend herself from his advances. She willed her sporadic energy to rise within her, but she could only feel a slight tingle from her plea, nothing remotely significant.

He was suddenly in front of her with inhuman like speed, gripping her upper arms painfully to pull her hard against him. She stared at him wide eyed, her hands pushing on his chest, but they were soon immobilized by his grip. He half smiled at her before leaning down to lick the trickle of blood on her neck from the bite he had given her only moments before. "In this place, you always keep your promises," he whispered threateningly.

Serena felt a spontaneous burst of power and wrenched herself out of his grasp with super strength, feeling the energy begin to rise in her chest. Even though she knew it couldn't harm him, she released it anyways, temporarily blinding him as it circled through the room.

Without a second glance backwards she ripped open the door, breaking the lock, and sprinted down the hallway. At least she had distracted him, if not harmed him.

But not a moment latter she felt his body crash into hers, knocking her to the floor with him falling heavily on top of her back. For the moment she was temporarily winded, and he used the opportunity to lift off some of his weight. But she recovered quickly, allowing her to do the same. Not caring for her shortness of breath she jabbed backwards with her elbow, connecting with his gut and satisfied to hear him grunt painfully. With space between them now, she rolled to the side and tried to kick him further away, but he threw his arms over her legs, trapping her on the ground.

As she swung out with her arm to connect with his face, he gripped that as well, pulling her into the air with it. With one swift movement he stood, bringing her with him to be heaved over his shoulder.

William seemed to have no trouble rising with her struggling weight and began to make his way back to the room, glancing about the hallway for witnesses.

Serena, however, wasn't done with him. Hanging halfway down his back she reached up and tugged a handful of hair. She jerked his head so far backwards that it would have broken the neck of a regular man. As it was, he only lost his balance and slammed into the wall.

She gasped as she fell once more, landing painfully on her backside, but held onto his hair, leaving him on his knees beside her.

His eyes burned their reddest ever and he knocked her arm away with such force she was sure something fractured. Almost at the same moment he knocked one hand away, he gripped the other in his hand and twisted it around her back. Without any effort on his part, he shoved the arm higher up her back until she thought he meant to break it. However, his intention was only to make her stand up, which she did, very quickly.

He didn't say anything, but kept her in front of him, coercing her to walk forward by bending her arm higher if she stopped.

William ended up leading her into the room this way, and once there he shoved her away forcefully. She stumbled only slightly, but caught herself and turned to face him. Just as she did so, he ripped the door completely off it hinges, and threw it to the side like a piece of garbage. Without a glance back to her, he turned into the wall and whispered a harsh command.

She looked at him like he was absolutely crazy, and wondered _what the hell was wrong with this guy? He was talking to walls now?_

But as she thought this, a visible force field of dull light sprung up before her, blocking the doorway and any chance of entering the hallway.

"You know what that is Serena?" he asked angrily from the doorway.

She snapped her gaze towards him when he spoke and saw the diabolical grin consuming his face. She didn't answer, but glared dangerously at him.

He took a step towards her. "It prevents you from leaving this room unless I tell it to let you through."

She felt a chill run down her back. She was not going to let herself be trapped in here. There had to be other ways to leave.

Serena suddenly remembered that Jared's rooms were directly connected to this one and glanced at the door quickly. She would have to bid her time and leave through it when the moment came. But he saw the glance and walked purposefully towards them, muttering into the walls again. Although she didn't see the force field appear, she could tell it was there. For some reason she could feel the static energy being released by it, somewhere in her mind she was aware that there was magic being produced by that door. _What the hell was happening here?_ She asked herself.

She looked back to him and felt a look of defeat cross her features. But there was a cold look of determination on his face as he stared back at her, although he didn't take another step towards her. Instead he walked to his dresser and opened the top drawer.

Serena felt herself taking on the defensive stance Lestat had shown her, and thanked him, a little surprised that she was thanking him at all.

William turned back towards her soon enough with a golden collar held in his hands. It was beautifully embellished, solid gold with silver vines through it, but when the grin slid back onto his face she let out a half yell, half groan. "And what exactly is that for!" she shouted, stepping angrily away from his approach.

His ferocious grin made her blood turn cold, and still he walked towards her. She felt the air leave her lungs as she bumped into the wall unexpectedly. Turning to glance at it, she noticed a silver, dangerous looking sword hanging just 5 inches from her head with a wide assortment of other torturous devices.

She looked at him again and pulled it from the wall, brandishing the weapon angrily. "What's that collar for?" she repeated.

He didn't reply but stopped where he was, just far enough away from her that she would have to move towards him to inflict any damage. "And just what were you hoping to accomplish with that?" he asked tauntingly.

"You answer my question first," she replied, delaying the inevitable. She was going to have to cause some serious damage to get out of this one, which she wasn't at all sure she would be able to achieve. The sword was heavy, much heavier than anything she had welded in her life. She would have to pray for a miracle to do anything with it. She hadn't trained with weapons, hadn't even lifted one in her entire life.

"Do you even know how to use it?" he continued, ignoring her remark.

"I know that I can shove it through your heart, and that's good enough for me."

He laughed a humorless laugh. She felt cold all over at the sound and steeled her gaze even more. "And kill the one you claim to love, whose also hiding somewhere in here? I don't think so." And with that he rushed towards her, flinging the collar halfway across the room and gripping her arm before she could so much as swing the sword around.

As his grip tightened painfully around her small wrist, the sword dropped with a clatter to the floor.

Serena was spun around so that her back was pressed right into him, and his arms came to ensnare around her waist, both of her arms captured in the hold. Try as she might she couldn't pull them loose. "Foolish little girl. They haven't even taught you basic attacks, have they?"

She kicked her heel back in answer, earning her a grunt of pain from her adversary, but still he didn't release her. He did however move her that much more quickly to the bed and dumped her unceremoniously on top of it.

She fell on her stomach before she could release both her arms, and he quickly grabbed one before she could manage to move at all. Without any hindrance, he pulled it up and over her head, chaining it to the backboard quickly.

Serena felt his arms snake around her waist again to turn her onto her back, her other arm chained directly beside the one above her head before she could even register the fact.

As she pulled the chains he sat there, straddling her stomach and looking down at her. His eyes burned their infamous red as he smirked, "You almost make this too easy Mouse, but I have to admit, that was probably the best escape attempt I've ever had to deal with."

She felt the energy rising within her, and was happy to note she was being able to control it more and more. Maybe if she just kept using it, it would eventually cause some damage, even with that forsaken amulet he had.

His smirk widened as he witnessed her skin beginning to glow its unnatural white. "Go ahead, release the energy. The most it does is hurt my eyes, and this time you won't be going anywhere while I'm recovering from the blindness."

As he said this, he scooted down to settle on her hips and bent over to pull her ankle towards the edge of the bed. She maneuvered herself just enough to see the metal shackle to be clasped around her ankle.

She began to panic, buckling and struggling even more against him. She flailed viciously, and to her amazement he rose to avoid a collision with her flying lower limbs.

As he left the bed entirely, he walked across the length of the room to pick up the discarded golden collar. He half smiled at her, waving it in front of her mockingly.

An angry gust of air left her nose and he laughed, coming back to where she was on the bed. As he leaned down to grip her other ankle, her unchained leg flew to his face, knocking his head to the side from the force of her kick.

She felt a surge of satisfaction as he turned back to her, his mouth smeared with black blood. Angrily he caught her last limb and chained it at the bed's edge, her legs now spread wide open on top of the bed.

Then he stood back, regarding her with his red eyes. They were filled with a malice she had never seen before, and she idly wondered if she shouldn't have provoked him.

He slowly wiped the blood from his face and sneered down at her.

She closed her eyes at his victory over her and inwardly groaned. She tried not to think of all the things he could do to her in this condition, but she couldn't stop the images that were coming to mind.

"Open your eyes, Serena."

She refused, keeping them shut tightly as the bed sagged beside her. She could tell he was leaning over her, his fingers slightly brushing the hollow of her neck, but she still refused to open her eyes.

However, when the collar was clasped around her neck, her eyes snapped open and she found his eyes gazing into hers.

He grinned at her defeat. And to her surprise he held a vial of red liquid in front of her. It looked like the same vial the healer Edna had given her when William had broke her wrist.

"Drink this," he commanded.

What surprised her even more was that she obliged him by opening her mouth to have the liquid poured in. She looked up at him in confusion. _Why was she doing this?_ She didn't want to, but still her mouth opened without any direction from her brain. _What was happening?_

If it was at all possible, his grin widened. "See, vampire blood isn't so bad, is it?"

Serena almost spit out the liquid, but only ended up coughing as it trickled down her throat. "What?" she managed to gag out.

"Vampire blood. Mixed with a little food coloring for better color. Don't tell me Edna the Healer never told you that vampire blood had healing properties!"

As he said this, she could feel the bite mark on her neck close and heal itself over. But she couldn't reply, she was still coughing. _Holy shit, _she thought. _Edna gave me vampire blood before as well? _

"Now, try and get up," he demanded.

Serena looked pointedly at the chains, "What good would it do?" she snapped. But still her body tried to struggle to be free of them. Fear entered her eyes, _why was she doing what he said?_

"Now stop," he ordered.

She did, lying perfectly still as he leaned over her. He brushed his fingers against the collar, than looked directly at her. "See this little device, Serena? It was designed to keep prisoners in line during the Renaissance. It gives the owner absolute physical control over everything the wearer does. If I say raise your arm," she felt her right arm rise from the chain, "you raise your arm."

He laughed at her horrified expression. "Yes, Mouse. Whatever I tell you to do, you're going to do." Then he sighed. "Only downfall is I can't control your mind, or what you say. But that wouldn't have been too much fun, wouldn't it? I like your feistiness."

She felt like crying. Why was he doing this to her? Didn't he already cause her enough trauma?

"After you made that promise for Mel, I was afraid you wouldn't keep your word so I had this made. I've been safekeeping it until I could properly make use of it. Same with this amulet," he said, fingering the necklace around his neck, "which I'm sure you've already figured out makes your power useless against me."

Her breaths came out in uneven spurts as tears welled up in her eyes, his words finally starting to sink in.

"Now, now, don't fret, Mouse. I wont make you do anything that isn't enjoyable_...for myself"_ he added.

She let out a strangled moan and tilted her head to the side, so she didn't have to look at him any longer.

"Hey, look at me," he said soothingly. But there was an undertone to it that hinted he could easily be pushed to do unspeakable things. She felt herself forced to look at him as her body responded without her acknowledgement. "In this place, promises are kept."

* * *

_Do people like it so far? The next chapter is going to the first time I actually write a full sexual moment so I'm a little nervous about what everyone's going to think, but feedback on how its going so far is always good. Stay tuned for the next chapter which will be naughty-filled. If you dont like that, please dont read it. And if you read it and dont like it, let me know what you hate about it and I'll see if I can rework stuff...without completely changing what I already have. _

_**Would people read a story about Dementia and her time with the werewolves? Because I had sudden inspiration for that idea, and it would tie into this story quite well. **_

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_Maddly Riddled_


	30. You're Mine

_Dont like rated M things, dont read the next part please._

_Hope its up to par. If not, please let me know how I can improve! :) I would really appreciate any thoughts, complaints, judgments, no matter how harsh_

_Maddly Riddled_

_P.S Inspiration from Johanna Lindsey_

_**P.S.S Would people read a story about Dementia and her time with the werewolves? Because I had sudden inspiration for that idea, and it would tie into this story quite well. **_

* * *

William's Room- 4th Floor

"I swear, if you lay one finger on me I'll kill you," she hissed, blind hatred blurring her vision, if not the tears stinging her eyes.

He laughed and gently touched her cheek with his finger. "Such anger, Serena. Are you sure I'm worthy of such an emotion? Well, maybe after tonight you'll be changing your tune, hmm?" With that he left her side and soon her field of vision.

Serena wished she could follow his movements, hoping to see what he was doing in order to ease her overactive imagination, but her restraints prevented her from moving any further.

"As I've been hibernating in Jared's subconscious I've taken the time to try and figure out this little mystery of yours, Serena. To find out what is so special about you that makes him _think_ that you are the other half of his soul," he said, his voice getting louder as he came back towards her.

He sat down beside her on the bed, brandishing a nasty looking, jewel-encrusted blade. He gently caressed the side of her face with it before climbing on top of her.

"Legend says that when two halves of a soul meet, they're bonded together for eternity," he seemed to be talking to himself aloud, tracing the blade over her flawless skin, staring at every piece of skin it touched. "If something happens to one half, it happens to the other. What if I were to put it to the test? Would he feel your pain? Your pleasure?"

Serena dared not move a muscle, watching nervously as the sharp piece of silver traveled from her cheek down to her scarred neck.

"But mostly I wonder what's going to happen when he realizes what you are?" he asked, his blazing eyes snapping up to hers.

As her eyes met his, the first rip sounded throughout the room. He had cut her shirt from the hem.

She sucked in her breath as the cold air rushed against her exposed stomach. Gooseflesh appeared all over, causing his hand to smooth itself over it, as if hoping to brush them away.

"I'll ask you again, Serena, what do you actually think is going to happen when he finds out exactly what you are?"

She breathed in quick breaths nervously and looked up at him, realizing he wanted an answer. "Nothing short of surprise. Even I don't know what I am, William."

He snorted, "Oh yeah, that's right. No one's figured it out yet, have they? It's just me then."

"Then what am I?" she asked angrily. She didn't know what he was trying to prove here, but she didn't like where he was taking it.

Instead of answering, he gripped the end of her shirt with one hand and in the other he wielded the blade, cutting upwards from the first tear to the collar of her shirt.

Her eyes widened and she tugged on the chains as more and more of her clothing was slit. And the more skin exposed, the redder his eyes became.

She struggled fiercely as the blade continued upwards, but with a quick command from William she felt herself stop. Serena was then forced to lie perfectly still as her top and bra were discarded, completely ruined from his treatment.

He watched as her full breasts poured out from their confines in her shirt, and ran his hands over them softly. Unable to resist, he cupped them in both hands. As his experienced fingers kneaded and pinched, his mouth descended.

She let out a shocked gasp at the heat radiating from his mouth as he engulfed one perk nipple. "Please don't," she whispered.

William glanced up at her, a smirk playing on his lips, "Why?"

"Just stop."

"Because you actually like what I'm doing?" He deliberately looked down her exposed torso, looking pointedly at her hardened nipple. He brought up his thumb to gently fondle the point of her other breast. Blood rushed to the area, firming the mound, and turning the tip into another hardened little nub.

She grimaced, knowing her body was betraying her in every way.

He continued to grin as gooseflesh appeared all over different parts of her body at his touch. "The fact that you're not answering makes me think that you do like this sort of treatment," he commented, running a hand down and across her stomach, making the muscles contract.

William then shuffled back to sit squarely on her thighs and placed a tickling kiss on her belly, his tongue snaking out to trace a circle around her navel.

"Stop!" she hissed.

"Still trying to resist, Gabriella? You know it's going to be no use. But since you can't stop me physically, maybe you'll beg me to leave you alone?"

She sneered down at him, "Never."

He sat up to straddle her stomach once more, spreading his hands over her chest once again, and beginning a slow ascent towards her breasts. "I didn't think you would. But maybe you're refusing to give in, not because you're stubborn, but because you don't want me to stop. You want me to keep going, you want to see what's going to happen." His fingers curled around her breasts.

She heard her voice waver as she insisted, "No, I—I just wont ever beg to _you_."

"Such a proud little Mouse."

Between his thumb and forefingers, he pinched her hardened nipples until she stiffened, then treated them with tender care. He continued applying pleasure-pain to this most sensitive area until she thought she would actually beg for mercy.

Serena could no longer lie still, and she felt herself melding into his touch, even as she tried to hold herself back. Her heart was racing, practically pounding out of her chest as he continued to touch her in ways she wouldn't have even begun to dream about. Heat was radiating off her skin in folds, practically making her sweat with anticipation.

William was mesmerized with the woman underneath him; the way she gnawed on her lower lip and closed her eyes when he touched a decidedly more sensitive spot. He finally moved his hands away from her chest up to cup her cheeks, forcing her to look nowhere but himself. "What's going to happen when Jared realizes that he doesn't actually want you? That you two don't actually _connect _the way you think you did? What if he found out your connection was actually with me?"

She didn't say anything, just looked defiantly into his burning eyes and willed herself to remain impassive to his administrations. He was lying. She could never be with him.

"Hasn't it always been me that you force to emerge? Not sniveling young Jared, but me, the bloodthirsty vampire with no conscience. It's been me, and it will always be _me._ I'm the one that has always come for you, I'm the one that will _always _come for you, there's no escaping that fate Serena. You should just give in and accept it, save yourself the trouble of trying to resist. The end result will be the same no matter what."

He leaned over to kiss everywhere on her face, except her mouth. At her ear he beseeched her, "You're forever mine."

She shrugged her head out of his hands angrily. "I'll **_never _**belong to you."

He gripped her chin tightly in his hand and spun her face back to look at him. "You may think that now, but when you have nothing left, we'll see what happens." Suddenly he laughed, "But you'll be stubborn until the end though, wont you?"

His lips descended on her furiously for a crushing kiss. It was short and full of malice but then he pulled away, "But let me tell you something princess," He kissed her again, "So will I."

When he pushed her away from him a final time, he got off of her completely, going to stand at the end of the bed. There he stopped, and slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, he removed his shirt.

Serena held her breath. Even though she hated the vampire, she loved his body. And watching him gaze at her like that was nearly the same as feeling him touch her; it was doing crazy things to her insides.

She closed her eyes from him, hoping she could suddenly disappear through the bed and away from him. But as it was, she remained where she was and willed herself to relax instead.

It did no good.

The bed sagged once again by her feet and she felt a cold hand on each ankle. She wouldn't look at him…slowly the hands moved up the inside of her pant leg…she shut her eyes tighter and tilted her head up—his hands passed her knees, higher, closer, then strong fingers hooked around the loops of her pants where her belt would generally have gone.

He gently tugged on them, pulling the jeans tantalizingly slow down her hips and over her thighs. Once they reached her feet he cut the remains away, leaving her clad in just her black underwear. "I hope these didn't have some sort of sentimental value, Serena," he commented, throwing the shredded jeans somewhere within the room.

She inwardly groaned as he brought the cold metal blade against her hipbone. She winced slightly as the remaining fabric was also sliced away.

One hand stopped and rested, gripping her hip firmly while the other traveled back down her thigh to her ankle.

Serena held her breath, sure her heart was going to explode it was beating so violently.

"You're going to look at me Serena," he commanded.

She wanted to shake her head wildly and tilt her head up and away from him, but her efforts were futile. The collar forced her head to shift to look at him.

He chuckled at this, knowing he could tell her to do anything and she would have to. He revealed in the power he had over her. He slipped his arms under her thighs, nearly up to his shoulders, all the while staring at her. His hands came to spread over her stomach as his chin rested on the triangle of thin, blond curls on her pelvis.

His eyes taunted her, telling her that she was completely at his mercy. "You're not going to struggle, and you're not going to try and throw me off. You're going to lie here and respond the way you would if I were any other lover you had. I want to see you responding to me." And before the last word was spoken, he lifted his chin.

She could feel his warm breath against her opening as he lowered his head and felt his tongue touch the tiny muscle controlling her passion. She jerked with a violent shock of pleasure as his tongue swirled inside her, tasting every inch of her womanhood. "Oh my God," she whispered, unable to help herself. She prayed he didn't hear it.

But he did, and he renewed his torture with lapping strokes. He blew gently as she thrust her pelvis to him, demanding the pressure of his tongue within her body. She hissed as he nipped her clit, and squirmed under the administrations he was putting her through.

Serena hated herself. She hated him. Why was she letting him…oh that felt good. "Oh, please," she muttered, grabbing the backboard with her chained hands.

He continued as her pleasure began to build. And just when she thought she couldn't take any more, he slipped a finger inside her as well, rubbing circles against her as his tongue continued to move.

She couldn't contain her gasp as she felt herself near bliss; yet ashamed she was moving so freely with him.

Although this hadn't been her first time, it felt like it was. Never had anyone she'd been with made her feel so much, and at the same time. He was dangerously skilled in what he was doing and she hated to think of how many other women had been through this very same situation.

Then he stopped and pulled away from her. She groaned in protest and looked up at him as he leaned over her.

"Say you want me," he demanded.

She shook her head fiercely, biting her bottom lip to prevent any noise from leaving it, knowing that what she could say was beyond his control.

"Say you need me!"

"I don't," she replied, wishing her body would respond the same way her mind did.

He sighed angrily and gripped the back of her head, pulling her up for a violent kiss. His tongue entered her mouth hungrily, and she could taste herself on his lips but didn't oppose him.

She gasped when his hand brushed against her breast before cupping it fully. He used the opportunity to fully deepen the kiss even more, reacquainting himself with her taste again.

She turned her head away from him, hoping that somehow it would make him stop.

Instead of forcing her back to him, William trailed kisses down her neck, hungrily devouring her with a strange intensity.

"I'm all you have," he whispered against her.

"No, I'm all _you _have."

He growled in frustration and stood to hastily remove his jeans.

She stared in wonder, as the strong root of him was uncovered, already throbbing for her. He was thickly muscled, definitely more so then Michael, and toned beyond definition, but flawed with numerous different scars. She could have leisurely explored his entire form but this was William, she didn't want him.

The moment he finished undressing he climbed in beside her and gripped her hair, locking her mouth with his in a kiss that was brutal with the passion she was stirring within him.

He would have taken her right then, but the sight of her beside him, entirely his, reminded him of how much he had ached to know what it felt like to have her exactly like this. And although he was an instinctual animal, craving only blood to survive, he had wanted this more often then not. Now that he could have her, all of her, made his blood surge with lust.

Lying on his side, braced up on his elbow, his hands explored the velvet of her skin. Looking at all he discovered, he felt her jerk when his fingers grazed a spot just under her ribcage. He down to her, a sadistic grin on his face, and brushed it again. She squirmed under him as he ran his fingers back and forth over the spot. He grinned and continued his gentle exploration.

When his hand came to rest on her hip he glanced back to her. Never looking away from her, he climbed on top of her, spreading her thighs as wide as they could go against the chains to accept him.

He was amused that for once he didn't have to hold himself above a woman because of his long length, amazed that her body conformed to his so perfectly. He regarded her silently as he positioned himself over her opening.

At her mutinous stare, he plunged himself into her depths, ignoring her outcry. She was tight around him, searing with moist heat. He reveled in it and began to move slowly within her.

She moaned at the movement, not believing she could actually be feeling what she was. He had filled her quickly with a single thrust, stretching her beyond anything she had ever felt, leaving her surprised at his fullness. She hadn't been with many other men, but they were nowhere near the size he was, and this fact caught her completely off guard. She wished there was something other than animosity between them, because she would have definitely wished to enjoy this fully. But as it was, she couldn't. She hated him, she loathed him, and yet he was making her feel this blissful sensation.

She wished she could wrap her limbs around him and draw him further into her. She wished she could be like this with someone she actually loved and cared for, she wished she didn't feel so entirely whorish with him.

She wished he would go faster.

He was starting off at a slow pace, pulling almost all the way out of her before plunging himself back in. It hurt, but at the same time felt incredible. Then his own passions started to get the best of him.

He began to increase his speed, aware that he was moaning just as much as she was, and not caring one bit. Thrusting even faster, he was satisfied to feel her hips meeting his rhythmically and felt the pleasure building inside of him.

The pressure inside her was increasing, blindingly her with a brilliant display of colors. She moaned every time he managed to thrust back inside her and soon she shouted as her climax over came her, washing through her in waves.

He hissed with satisfaction as he rode her orgasm with an uncontrolled vigil. With one final thrust he spilled inside of her, holding her more tightly than ever before as he reached an orgasmic plateau.

She breathed heavily as he remained still inside her, ashamed and yet completely sated with the encounter. She opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them, and looked up at him. She gasped at the heat lying behind them and felt herself grow hot once again with anticipation.

He stayed where he was for a long time, savoring the pulsing heat that throbbed against him. Even though she wouldn't admit it, he knew that she was his now, now and forever. He was going to make sure she never thought of Jared again.

With the thought he began to move inside her once more, bringing them to an all-new level of bliss.

* * *

_Some questions answered:  
_

_Well..I guess I could write a mini series for Drake and some of the Elders, there's already a story for Dementia...maybe I'll also write Oneshots for all of Michael's harem?  
_

_Not all vamps have double personality, just Jared/William. I'll be revealing more about what happened with the personalities later. _

_**Would people read a story about Dementia and her time with the werewolves? Because I had sudden inspiration for that idea, and it would tie into this story quite well. **_

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_Maddly Riddled_


	31. Confusing Information

_I know this isn't going to be the best chapter, but its something to wet your appetite. _

_Enjoy._

* * *

William's Room. Fourth Floor

William looked down at the sleeping blond in his arms and grinned. Gently brushing a stray hair from her face he nipped her lip teasingly.

Keeping his arm tightly around her waist, he leaned over to look into her peacefully calm face. With his other hand he traced little circles on her shoulders while simultaneously kissing her exposed neck.

When her breathing hitched, he knew she was starting to wake. He smirked, knowing she didn't want him to realize this, and let his hand descend towards her breasts.

She gasped, her eyes snapping open as he cupped her fully in his hand. She rolled towards him and knocked his hand away, happy to note that the chains had been removed at some point during the evening…day.

"Morning, Mouse," he said huskily, his eyes their blazing red as both his arms wrapped back around her.

He pressed his naked chest to hers and she suddenly noticed how very cold he was. She felt an uncontrollable shiver run through her, and silently wondered why he was freezing when Jared had been burning hot that one time he comforted her after her encounter with the Three.

William propped himself on his elbow to look down to her, mistaking her shiver for something else. "How do you feel, Lover?"

She snorted angrily and pressed her hands against his chest to push him away, "Lovers get to chose to be with one another. Whatever happened between us last night wasn't based on any choice on my part."

"Then what would you call us? Fuck buddies?" he laughed, gripping her even tighter as he ignored her last remark.

She scowled. "No, what I would call you is a rapist. You had no right to do that last night."

He laughed dangerously again, tilting his head slightly as he continued to look at her. "You can't rape the willing, Serena."

"You think I was willing?" she snapped, pushing herself out of his arms.

"Based on the noises you were making, yeah, I would say you were _extremely_ willing," he grinned.

Serena pushed up from the bed with two hands, unknowingly letting the blanket fall down from her body. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as her upper body was exposed.

He let out a snicker at her embarrassment. "Why so shy all of the sudden? Its not like I haven't seen, and felt, everything already."

She quickly brought the blanket back up to cover herself, "You…" she started but was cut off as he lunged at her.

She let out a shriek as she struggled against his long form, but he had taken her by surprise and in seconds he had wrapped the sheet around her arms in such a way that they were disabled behind her back.

She gasped when he lay over top of her, positioning himself above her opening so all he would have to do was lean in slightly to enter her.

He gently caressed the collar around her neck before resting his head on her chest, "You know, I could make you do anything, Serena. Absolutely anything…"

"You've already proven that point last night," she hissed.

"Then maybe it hasn't begun to sink into your head that you're choices are limited, little Mouse. You have freedom of thought, but that's about it," he sneered.

"You're wrong," she glared, "I have a choice in whether or not I want you. And I don't. Just because you've got this collar around my neck doesn't mean that I'll accept you or ever go to you willingly."

A look of pure hatred crept onto his face as he stared at her, his red eyes glowing the brightest she had ever seen. "Thrust up into me," he demanded.

Her eyes widened as her body reacted without her acknowledgement. Her hips lifted themselves off the bed, practically holding his entire weight and forcing him to enter her.

She gasped at the sudden invasion and she couldn't help but revel in the feeling.

He hissed as he was fully immersed within her. "Now little Mouse, move with me."

* * *

"Where's Serena?" demanded David to Lestat in the underground training room.

"Where do you think she is?" Lestat drawled out, crossing his arms as he watched the newborns duel with each other. They were practicing all the skills the two Elders had tried their hardest to instill in them, but not as well as he could have hoped.

David grinned, "Jealous?"

"Of my own kin?" he asked before dramatically throwing his head back and laughing humorlessly. "Oh David, how you make me laugh."

David's grin grew even bigger. "Of course."

Lestat frowned, sparing his collaborator a glance before gazing back towards the newborns. "She is with William, David, aren't you the least bit worried what he could be doing to her even as we speak?"

It was then David's turn to frown as he looked pointedly at Lestat. "Why do you always have to remind me of such things?"

"Because it's the truth. William is dangerous, not only to her but to the entire coven. In case you've forgotten, he is just as capable of leaking information to the lycans as Chace was, or worse. He would tell those _angels _anything they wanted to know if it meant he could break away from Jared's conscious **_permanently_**. If anything he would probably be a better double agent then Chace could have ever dreamed of being," he added.

"He's your son! If anything happens like that throughout this war it's your fault, and you're going to have to carry that with you for eternity."

"You think I don't know that? But William wasn't the one I wanted to sire. It was Jared. You of all people should understand that they are completely different people. William emerging was a mistake based on my own incompetence."

"One that we've been paying for almost four hundred years."

"No, a problem that no one seemed to care about until this _girl _came along."

"The coven doesn't want any harm to come to her; they think she's the one. The one we've been waiting for from the prophecy. Once the lycans can pull their heads from out of their asses, they're going to be rampaging through here like no tomorrow. If any harm comes to her there's going to be a riot!"

Lestat snorted, "Have you or have you not seen the way he is with her? He wont let anyone seriously harm her."

"But that doesn't mean he wouldn't be the one to hurt Serena. Even if there isn't a shred of proof of her place in the prophecy, the coven's faith will demand for her protection. He could get in a lot of trouble if his anger got the best of him. If she is killed, then we find out she is the one from the prophecy then we will never be able to leave this world."

"They thought the same about Kiki when she first came here, or don't you remember? When I brought her we all believed that her _special _abilities would save us all from this damned world, but did they? No. We should just confine ourselves to this world and make the most of it. Damn the prophecy. Serena is nothing more then another girl who will disappoint us greatly."

"Happy to hear your vote of confidence, Lestat," Serena spoke as she came up from behind them.

"Serena!" exclaimed David, looking like he had been caught stealing. "I'm glad to see all your body parts still intact."

"Well, all the parts that matter anyways," Lestat added.

She smiled, but the warmth didn't reach her eyes. "What does it matter at all? I'm just another girl that's going to disappoint you greatly, I'm not important at all."

Lestat's eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. "No, you're not, and you would do well to remember that."

Serena glared at him before turning to David. "Do I get to hit things today? Instead of just standing here breathing like yesterday?"

David almost laughed, but caught himself when he saw the fire in Lestat's eyes. "Serena, the breathing techniques that Lestat went over with you yesterday are very important for mortals. It could make the difference in a fight against an immortal."

"Yeah, right. Well, I think I'm ready to fight a newborn today."

Lestat snorted but before he could say anything David intervened.

"Serena, you haven't even practiced with a dummy yet! And I hate to tell you this, but they'll eat you in a matter of seconds. They're stronger, faster, and …well not exactly smarter, but the drive of the virus is strong in them, they've only just been turned!"

"So?"

David looked at her in disbelief. "Are you craz…" but then he stopped and crossed his arms. "Ok, you can fight." Serena smiled. "When Lestat says you're ready." Her smile disappeared.

Lestat smirked. "She can fight."

David let out a loud, "What?" startling the newborns, which had them all turning to look at them.

"She can fight me. Ok Sunshine?"

* * *

_Some questions answered:  
_

_Well..I guess I could write a mini series for Drake and some of the Elders, there's already a story for Dementia...maybe I'll also write Oneshots for all of Michael's harem?  
_

_Not all vamps have double personality, just Jared/William. I'll be revealing more about what happened with the personalities later. _

_Unfortunately I'm not going to rewrite the scene in his perspective, but I will touch on more of William's thoughts in later chapters.  
_

_I will do my best to update more frequently._

_Jared will appear soon, promise. You'll be told what she is later on, and how William figured it out, but not quite yet._

_Michael is coming back, dont forget about him_

_Comments, complaints, rude comments, I'm all ears...eyes in this case. _

_-Maddly Riddled_


	32. Kicking Ass?

So…apparently my story is listed in a community. Wow! That's an awesome compliment. That is unbelievable, in a good way lol. **Best Vampire Stories Ever**! Apparently. Lol wow. Manager Ashleigh-Nicole, I am honored.

* * *

"_Yeah, right," Serena said rolling her eyes. "Well, I think I'm ready to fight a newborn today."_

_David looked at her in disbelief. "Are you craz…" but then he stopped and crossed his arms. "Ok, you can fight." Serena smiled. "When Lestat says you're ready." Her smile disappeared. _

_Lestat smirked. "She can fight."_

_David let out a loud, "What?" startling the newborns, which had them all turning to look at them. _

"_She can fight me," Lestat continued, then looking to Serena, "Ok Sunshine?"_

* * *

Basement Floor, training room

"Excuse me?" Serena stammered out, looking at him like he had grown a second head.

"Did I stutter Serena? I thought I made myself perfectly clear. You want to fight, you may fight me," Lestat said nonchalantly, turning away from her with his hands behind his back.

"But you're an Elder! You know pretty much everything involving martial arts and dueling! You probably know some sort of crazy magic tricks as well!"

"Oh, and I thought you were ready to fight a newborn today? What happened to all that enthusiasm Serena?" he asked sneeringly.

"Well, there's a huge difference between you and newborns! You're old!" Lestat suddenly frowned, "with centuries of training! They, on the other hand, are just like me."

Lestat snapped towards her and suddenly appeared two inches from her face. "No, they're not Serena, and the sooner you understand that the longer you can stay alive in this place," he hissed. "They may be less intelligent but they are stronger and they are faster. Not to mention, they are driven by a virus that keeps telling them to rip your throat out! You need to get this stupid fucking idea out of your head that you can take them on and live to see another day."

"Lestat, leave her be," intervened David angrily, putting his hand out to block Lestat from going any closer to Serena.

"No. I'm not going to baby her like you all seem to enjoy so much," Lestat shouted to David angrily.

"Excuse me?" shrieked Serena angrily. "I'm a prisoner to _William!_ The vampire, if you haven't forgotten, that _you_ sired! And you think I'm being babied! Well how about this, let's switch spots for a day and you can be 'babied'!"

Lestat's upper lip curled as he looked down at her before he pushed David away from him. "You think William's bad Serena?"

Serena frowned as she regarded the Elder. "He's a monster."

"Yes he is. But he actually likes you. Think about all the people he's dealt with that he doesn't like. And you think you have it bad?"

Serena looked taken aback. What he had said was true. And all those people that had to be around William had suffered far more than she had. Her thoughts drifted back to Nikolas, who had been completely shredded by William because Nikolas had abused Mel. She looked away from Lestat ashamed and said nothing.

Lestat sneered down at her before turning and walking exactly five paces from her. "Prepare yourself for your first session," The Elder hissed, turning to face her once more.

Serena felt a jolt of fear rise in her chest as Lestat took on a fighting pose. He was actually going to fight her. '_Is he going to try and hurt me to prove a point_?' She followed his lead hesitantly, and stood, waiting for him to make the first move.

Her nervousness was blatantly shown on her face. _She had no idea what she had gotten herself into._ With that thought Lestat grinned wide, baring his fangs before springing towards her.

She ducked his advance just in time, only to turn and have his fist connect with her jaw. "Lesson 1, never underestimate the opponent," he lectured as she flew away from him with the force of the hit.

Serena felt herself fall heavily to the floor with a grunt, and rolled away quickly, to avoid a bare foot about to stomp in her face.

As she clumsily got to her feet she noticed a large indent in the ground where her head had been only moments before. Before she could gasp another fist flew to her face, and a kick landed in her gut. She cried out as she was once again knocked to the floor. Wiping the blood away from her mouth, she stood shakily.

"Lesson 2, don't overestimate yourself."

Serena growled in frustration and ran towards him. He dodged her as if it required no thought. He seemed to be strolling around her like he was just talking a walk outside as she furiously tried to land a single hit on him.

"You don't even have base training, Serena," he remarked with distaste. "Or even basic instinct. The only thing you have is a tight ass," She swung another blow to his face, but he danced out of her reach, "and you can't exactly fight with that."

She growled out in anger once again and lunged at him, but it was no use. She fell face first on the ground with a disgruntled cry. _How can I not hit him? I've beaten vampires before! _She thought angrily to herself. _Those vamps on the stage! Even William's taken somewhat of a beat down._

Lestat let out a snort as he circled around her fallen body. "And you are supposed to be the little 'Prophecy Girl' here to save us all from this world. Sent here to restore us to our proper place among the Gods," he snorted again. "Yeah right. You couldn't even kill a fly."

_What? _Thought Serena in disbelief. _What is all this about a prophecy?_

"You're just a pathetic little girl that Michael picked up," he said, gripping her arms tightly and lifting her into the air. "And you know the only thing he really wanted to do with you was use you. Use you and then leave you to clean like the rest of his little harem."

"Shut up," Serena hissed dangerously, still hoisted in the air. She could feel the goose bumps starting to cover her flesh as she felt the power rising from within her chest.

"Or what? What are you going to do Serena? Spit on me? Well, that looks like the only thing you really can do…"

"NO!" Serena cried out as a brilliant white light burst painfully from her body. She was dropped to the floor as Lestat was thrown away from her by the force of the energy that had violently escaped her body.

She stood shakily, feeling an instant exhaustion, and let out a gasp at the destruction that lay before her.

The floor mats were completely disintegrated on the floor, the weapons rack on the far side of the room cracked and split, the newborns lay scattered on the far side of the wall, unconscious, and David stood in the middle of it, looking at her with a mixture of awe and fear.

Lestat stood up swiftly and snapped towards her, running full speed towards her.

Serena stood on the balls of her feet, preparing for his attack. She watched as the Elder ran straight for her, as fast as light, before he started to slow down. His movements seemed to become treacherously slothful as he approached.

She tilted her head, wondering what he was doing, but then she realized he wasn't doing anything. It was _her_. Her perspective was changing; he was still moving incredibly fast, but her mind was able to work so quickly that he seemed to be slowing in time.

She walked towards him as his body was stopped rigidly where he was. He looked as if he had just froze, his body positioned like he was running towards her, which he had been. But he was stopped. She circled around him, wondering if she was actually doing this. "Weird," she whispered out loud.

She looked to David, whose arm was raised in the air, his mouth wording the words "Lestat". She grinned, and walked back in front of Lestat.

With a single thought her hand blazed with incandescent light. "Cool," she grinned, and unfroze the time continuum. Before Lestat could even place his foot back on the ground she used the energy within her hand to lift him high into the air.

"Lestat stop!" David yelled. He jerked back in surprise as the blonde suddenly appeared in front of Lestat, almost as if she had teleported there, lifting the Elder high into the air without putting a hand on him.

Lestat snarled down at her, trying to fight against the invisible force keeping him positioned where he was.

Serena breathed in calmly, concentrating on holding him in the air.

"Serena," whispered David, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped back in surprise, losing her concentration and dropping Lestat loudly to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" shouted Lestat angrily, standing swiftly to his feet.

"Lestat! Back off for two seconds," David exclaimed, putting out a hand to stop Lestat from approaching Serena.

Serena looked at them both with a mix of fear and anger as her hands lit up again.

"She shouldn't be able to do that!" cried Lestat, pushing David away from him.

"Why because I'm such a disappointment?" Serena asked angrily, putting her hands out in front of her.

"Exactly," he hissed back at her.

A little spark flashed out from Serena's finger, causing Lestat to move backwards.

"Look, Serena, I think it would be best if you were to see Jadis. She has the experience to help you out with your powers. The ability to help you control them…"

"I think I have them under control," she snapped as more sparks flickered from her hand. The light once again began to surround her, building up in intensity.

"Serena!" cried out David, shielding his eyes. "Your powers won't work against us!"

"We'll just have to see about that wont we?" she shouted angrily, her eyes becoming a strange golden color.

"Serena! Please, just calm down, don't be like William!" David said to her, being forced to kneel on the ground from the overpowering brightness.

The energy suddenly flew back into her chest. "Like William?" she whispered. "You would actually compare me to him?"

David let out a sigh and stood from the floor, looking at her in sympathy. "It was the only thing I could have said that would make you stop," replied David, coming to stand in front of her.

Tears had begun to build in Serena's eyes. "I'm nothing like him," she whispered.

"I know," David said, pulling her in for an embrace. "Come on, let's go."

David brought an arm around Serena's shoulders and steered her from the room.

"This isn't over," Lestat sneered as they left.

* * *

_I am prepared for a lot of insults for not writing for so long. _

_To everyone: I like your ideas. Keep throwing them at me and I can see if I can incorporate them into the story_

_Michael will for sure be coming back, but I dont think anyone will expect what's going to happen when he does. ;)_

_Jared's gonna pop up soon, and hopefully answer a lot of questions!  
_

_All my reviewers get cookies. I love hearing from new people, and cherish hearing from people that have been reviewing since the beginning!_

_-Maddly Riddled  
_


	33. Kicking More Ass

_Thanks to everyone for the reviews and all the awesome comments_

_Notes: The dream is definitely important and not forgotten. Stay tuned. _

_Please, if there are any questions anytime please ask and I'll do my best to answer them, or tell you to keep reading because your question will be answered in time. _

* * *

Basement Floor, training room

"How did you do that Serena?" David asked as they exited the training room. "You knocked out every newborn in there!"

"Everyone except you and Lestat. Why is that?" she asked offhandedly, trying to change the subject.

David reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace that looked exactly like William's. "This prevents any magical harm to any Elder or high ranking coven member."

"Strange," she commented, but she continued walking.

"What's strange is what you are capable of! Did you teleport to where he was standing? I didn't even see you move!"

"No, no…I just…I think I slowed down time…" she mumbled the last part, hoping her wouldn't hear her. But he did. She forgot about super vampire hearing.

"What? You slowed down _time?_ Holy shit Serena! In all my years I haven't even _heard _of someone being able to do that! Do you know what else you can do?"

"No. Just whatever you've seen is what I can do…and super strength sometimes. But it's not consistent. I can't just will myself do to these things, sometimes they just happen."

"Wow," he breathed. "So you could have even more power then you're aware of?"

"I guess, sure."

David laughed, "Well, if there were any doubts about you being the girl from the prophecy there sure as hell won't be any now!"

"What exactly is the person from the prophecy supposed to do? I'm just some kid from the suburbs!"

"But you're not Serena. Do you think that by mere coincidence you were brought here?"

"Are you suggesting it was something else?" Serena asked dangerously. If her whole chaotic time here had been planned out beforehand she was going to kill whoever did the planning.

"Fate," he said with a huge grin.

Serena shook her head. "Michael kidnapped me because he liked me. There's nothing remarkable about that, so don't read too much into it."

"No, someone out there is looking out for us! You possess an amazing power that the coven has been waiting to appear for who knows how long. It's destiny! Maybe we really are going to be shown the way to our salvation."

Serena was just about to ask what he was talking about when a sneering baritone voice sounded from behind them, "Or maybe she's not."

Each of them snapped around to see William walking down the hall towards them. She stiffened at seeing him and maneuvered her way behind David.

"You really think she isn't?" David asked in disbelief. "After so many things that have happened because of her?"

"Like what? She's just another girl to add to our slave ranks."

"You would really say that?" David practically shouted. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Not only did she prevent Chace from overthrowing our coven Elders, she just knocked out an entire room of newborns without even touching them. She basically stopped time to kick Lestat's ass, and she's the other half of your host's soul. If these aren't signs that she is the one to lead us to redemption then I don't know who is."

William snorted, and reached around David to pull Serena away from him.

Serena flinched as his large hand wrapped painfully around her arm. He pulled her close to him and inhaled deeply. "Maybe there's a little something special about her, but that's only for me to exploit, not a legion of vampires hoping for her to be something she's not." He smirked and turned back to David. "I think I'll take her from here," he said before leading Serena down the hallway.

"She should really see Jadis," David called after them, but he wouldn't dare try to take her away from William. Not just because of what William would try to do to him, David was still the Elder here, but because he would be sent to the Abyss for even trying such a thing, it was against their code. _Akakios help us if she is to be our savior and he ruins it._

* * *

"So even the Elders don't want to train you anymore. How rich. I guess I have to do everything myself around here. Maybe I should have just trained you from the start, then I would have been able to see all this power first hand."

"Then why didn't you? Instead of sending me to be trained with a bunch of bloodthirsty newborns!" Serena asked angrily. "And I was still going to be trained by them, by the way. David was bringing me to Jadis before you came by. You just assume too much."

William stopped and spun her around to face him. "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. You assume that I'm going to listen to all these lies that you keep telling me, you assume you that you are able to manipulate me into something you can command, and you assume I'm just going to take whatever you throw at me. Well, I'm not. I'm not your property, _William_. And I'm not something that you can control."

"Really?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance before looking up and down the hallway.

Suddenly he pushed her towards the wall, pinning her there with his long body. "Bring your hand up to my hair."

Serena looked at him, hatred burning in her piercing green eyes. Her body clenched together as she tried to stop herself from doing just what he asked, but the necklace was still around her neck, forcing her to do just as he demanded.

He smirked down at her, "Looks like you are under my control. And if we weren't in the middle of the hallway, you would be under me right now. In fact, I'm even tempted just to fuck you right here."

Serena felt herself blush as she looked around the hallway, hoping beyond hope that David wasn't near enough to witness her humiliation.

He laughed at her and stroked the necklace, "This is definitely something that I will be taking more advantage of in the future." He gently moved a hair from the side of her face, and brought his face closer to hers to whisper, "You can't seem to wrap your mind around the fact that you _do _belong to me. We're not in the human world anymore Serena. There are different rules here, different social orders. You may not think that you are my property, but everyone else here does. I've branded you, _Gabriella_. Here," he whispered, kissing her neck where he had bitten her. "And here," and with that he grabbed her thigh and pulled it around his waist.

Serena bit her cheek, trying to hold back a moan as she felt him poised at her entrance, even through their clothing. She hated herself, and she hated him for making her feel this way. "Let me see Jared," she whispered.

"What?" he snapped.

"Jared, where is he?" she demanded, trying to push William away from her.

William grinned evilly down at her, and held her still. "What's a matter? You don't like spending quality time with me?"

"No, I hate you."

He laughed at her statement, and gripped her leg tighter around him in one hand while bringing the other into her hair. "You'll learn otherwise," he remarked before pulling her in for a crushing kiss.

He was forceful, bruising her mouth with his, pulling her so close to him that she felt as if they were melding into a single being. His tongue entered her mouth hungrily, questing, seeking, and familiarizing itself with her taste and her heat.

Serena began to push him away, but she couldn't help feeling the need of succumbing to him, to let herself become his property if only for a moment. _No, _she thought. _I want Jared. _Her eyes flared open, and they began to change.

The green was slowly being overcome by a vibrant golden color. She felt the energy swirling in her stomach, rising up throughout her body to rest in her heart. With her ability rushing in her full force she wrenched her lips away from his, and pushed him so forcefully that he flew to the other side of the hall, crashing into the wall. It left a huge indent.

"Show me Jared," she said barely above a whisper.

William stood angrily, wiping the dry wall from his shoulder as he strided towards her. "Lets see what you've got Blondie," he sneered, his eyes a blazing red.

Serena stood, her stance wide as she lifted her arms out into the air. It was as if a wind swirled around her, gusting through her hair. She was truly a terrifying sight with her long golden hair whipped itself around her, her eyes the color of solid gold, her skin beginning to glow like a star.

Then William ran towards her, a powerful yell escaping him as he made to strike her head.

She avoided him easily, slowing time around him to be able to stand behind him. She felt an immense power growing within her hand and looked down to see it consumed in a brilliant white light. As time began to reach a regular speed, she threw the ball of glowing light towards him. But it never connected. The amulet William wore around his neck prevented any magic from affecting him physically, and the magic ball just seemed to bounce off an invisible barrier surrounding him.

But he wasn't deterred, and threw an arm around her neck, twisting her so that he could pull her against him.

In one swift movement, Serena removed herself from his grasp and made to throw William over her shoulder, but he landed a punch to her stomach.

As she doubled over in pain, William pushed her to the floor and climbed on top of her. Gripping both of her hands in his, he placed held them above her head and disabled her legs with his own. "Our prophecy girl," he sneered sarcastically.

Serena bit out a cry as a mass wave of uncontrollable energy washed over her and exploded out of the pores of her entire body. It felt as if a million daggers had just torn through her skin, yet she was unmarred. But the pain was so intense she blacked out for a moment.

William was thrown away from her, being carried away with the current of the power to crash into the wall, almost exactly beside the place he had been thrown before, and practically flew through it entirely.

She breathed in deep breaths, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill and got up slowly, feeling the energy rushing through her like an electrical current. It was a rush, as if this incredible stream of golden charged power was replacing the very blood in her veins. She sauntered over to where he lay on the floor and leaned in towards him, with every intention of lifting him by his neck with her bare hands. Even though his amulet didn't seem to work anymore, she didn't want to lift him magically, she wanted to feel how much power she had over him.

But when he looked at her, his eyes weren't filled with a burning red fire. Instead they were a soft blue. "Jared," she whispered, her eyes immediately changing from gold to green, but there was an echo of the power still flowing through her. And somehow she knew it would remain there.

Serena knelt down beside him, trying to assess the amount of damage she had done to him, and gently tried to sit him up.

"Serena," he said in surprise, a warmth entering his eyes that she had never seen heard before. "You kicked his ass."

She laughed lightly. "I know, and I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he said, getting up with her help. "It'll heal in a few seconds."

"Should…should I just let you sit?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, just wait a minute," he whispered, closing his eyes.

Serena cradled his head in her lap as she waited patiently for his wounds to fully heal.

"_A woman with the power of heaven, and the love of hell,_

_ Will emerge to lead those of who have been damned,_

_ And those who have been condemned,_

_To their place of redemption," _Jared whispered, his eyes still closed.

"What?" Serena asked.

"The prophecy you've been hearing so much about. Well, one of them anyways. Its about a woman that will bring vampires back to the world they come from, the world in which they were exiled."

"Wait, what?" Serena breathed, trying to wrap her head around what he was trying to tell her.

"Vampires aren't supposed to be part of this world, Serena. They were sent here many millions of years ago, when this planet was entering the first stages of human evolution. It was a means of punishment used against them for crimes they committed on the other beings of the world. And ever since they've wanted to return."

"But why? I highly doubt any of the vampires walking Earth are over a million years old! How do they know what they're missing?"

Jared stood slowly, accepting Serena's offer of help and looked down at her. "There are ways of remembering," he said softly, remorsefully.

Serena looked away from him, knowing he had seen everything that had passed between her and William. "I didn't mean to…"

"I understand Serena. I do not begrudge you anything," he said, titling her head back to his. "Come on, I will show you this world that the vampires crave so much."

* * *

_A lot of people were asking about the prophecy, and that was the best I could come up with...sorry if there's any disappointment. If anyone has anything better I'd love to hear it and incorporate it in. _

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	34. It All Starts to Unravel

_Thanks to everyone for the reviews and all the awesome comments_

_Please, if there are any questions anytime please ask and I'll do my best to answer them, or tell you to keep reading because your question will be answered in time. _

* * *

Third Floor, Library

Jared led Serena to the library silently, obviously deep in thought.

She wanted to say something, anything that would make him believe that she hated William. That she wished she had been with him instead, that she had imagined him there in William's place. But words escaped her. What could she say?

"In here," he said, opening one of the office doors within the library. She hadn't even realized they had come this far.

She followed close behind him, aware of the limited amount of light in the room. The source seemed to radiate from the huge bookshelves lining the walls, emitting a dull, glowing light. "What are these?" she asked, picking up a vial of glowing liquid from a shelf.

"Potions," he answered, quickly taking it out of her hands. "Very dangerous potions."

"Sorry," Serena whispered, wrapping her arms around her to refrain from touching anything else.

He gave her a small smile and followed closely behind her as she wandered throughout the room.

"What are all these for?" she asked, eyeing the books and plants and jars covering the shelves.

"Different things that we've managed to make while here on Earth. Some things for the war, others things made to make our lives easier. Oh, like this," he said, lifting a vibrant green liquid solution. "This transports the drinker to wherever they are thinking of. Although, the journey hurts a little, and we're still working out some kinks."

Serena nodded wide-eyed with awe. "What else have you come up with?"

"Well, there are different potions for pretty much anything you can think of. Some heal wounds caused by silver; others allow one to go into the sunlight, but only for a few minutes. We haven't really perfected that one yet. However, no one's been able to come up with something to slow down time."

"Yeah, that's just me I guess," she whispered.

"It is really incredible what you can do, Serena," Jared said, gently turning her towards him. "What's even more incredible is that you use the power to stand up to others."

"I was just defending myself," she mumbled, bowing her head down in embarrassment.

"No, when William had a knife to Rarity's throat you stood up to him. When Nik had Mel, you went for help, even though you didn't want to face him, you sacrificed yourself for them. That's brave, Serena., and you just might be the person to bring these vampires back to their world."

Serena glanced up at him, marveling at how he thought of her. He smiled and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, sending an electric shock through her once again with his touch. Serena's breath hitched as it swept through her, leeching into her bloodstream with her already powerful energy.

She watched him as his gaze traveled down from her eyes to just her face.

"Serena," he whispered, "you're glowing again."

She jumped and looked down at her arms, holding them up slightly to get a better look at them. And she was. The brilliant white light was emitting itself from her skin as it had the last time Jared had touched her unexpectedly in the hallway. "Aw shit."

"No, no, its ok. Just try to contain it. Keep it within yourself, embrace it and just, just stand here with me, no sudden movements. Concentrate," he whispered in encouragement.

"But, but it'll explode out! We have to get out of this room, we have…"

Jared cut her off, "No, just wait. Come on, you can do this. Don't let it control you, control it."

"But you told me to let it go last time!"

"That was last time. Just try, I know you can! Keep it inside. Glow all you want, but keep the energy in."

"No, we have to leave!"

"No," he said softly, but firmly. "We wont make it out of here if we just rush out. You'll explode before we reach the door. And there are too many lethal potions in here. Even though you can survive the blast, the explosion you would create would cause all of these vials to break and it would kill you. Serena, you can control this."

Serena bit her lip and looked up into his eyes, his cool, soothing crystal blue eyes. She felt the energy lifting up and out from her blood and into the layers of her skin. _No, _she thought to herself. _He's right, I can do this._ She stared at him, his eyes showing his support, showing her the way to contain the power. She thought of pulling the energy back into her blood stream, she imagined it flowing through her body quiet and serene. She closed her eyes and opened them suddenly. The energy popped back into place, like a dislocated shoulder. She sighed and grinned up at him. She did it.

He smiled back, but he knew there was a chance that it would unexpectedly release itself if he weren't careful around her.

"We should leave," she whispered.

"Of course, I'll show you the alternate universe another time."

"No wait! I almost forget! When you remind me of that of course I don't want to leave!" she laughed. "But how can I see something that someone else only remembers seeing?"

"Wait here, I'll show you."

Jared left the room through a door somewhere to her right, leaving her to wonder what would be able to store a person's memory that was over millions of years old.

Yet he didn't come back right away like she thought he would. Slowly the minutes trickled by and she began to wonder if he just decided to leave her here. _No, he wouldn't, _she thought to herself. But there was a shred of doubt that seemed to ease into her brain…and sounded remarkably like William… Still, she didn't move or try and sit down; afraid she would knock over something and waited.

Serena gave an exasperated sigh as 15 minutes passed. She was just about to follow him when he suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Hey," he breathed, like he was out of breath. Which was obviously impossible, considering he had no need for air.

"Where have you been?"

"Got a little lost, but it's no problem."

"You got lost? Where exactly did you go?" she asked with suspicion.

"The room of Memories. It's chaotic," he replied, setting the rectangular object on the little table to the far left of the room.

"Ok…so this is the memory?" she asked, changing the subject. She walked over to stand by him closely, looking over his arm at the gray flat object. "It almost looks like a little T.V."

"Oh, it is," he commented, taking a step back from her. The moment she had stood beside him he felt a heavy tug on his consciousness. He didn't doubt that William was trying his hardest to take over his bodily functions. _Fuck you, _he thought to his resident. "Here, just tap this," he said, lightly tapping the circular button on the right hand side of the object.

The T.V. flickered on, blinking white and black before a huge scene unraveled itself before them.

It was like looking through someone else's eyes and even though she could tell it was extremely dark, she could see everything clearly. She was standing on the grounds of a remarkable gothic looking castle. It was the sort of place someone would stereotypically picture a mass of vampires to live. Yet perhaps this was what vampires were trying to recreate in this world, living in large estates, near forests, so as to feel closer to their universe.

There were a lot of trees around the castle, huge tall oaks that glared down at her as she watched the T.V zoom in closer, as if the person this memory was taken from was walking. Serena's stomach twisted and turned as she saw a fountain of blood continuously erupting while a group of vampires danced under it, drinking it in and laughing. There were also vampires feeding on the lawn, sucking the blood of what looked like large skinless apes.

With a grimace Serena glanced at Jared, but he was intensely watching the picture that was unfolding. She unwillingly looking back and saw some vampires holding each other close, feeding off of each other, fornicating. There were some wondering around aimlessly, laughing and dancing. Even though it seemed horrific and terrifying to her, there wasn't one vampire that she could spot that seemed depressed or angry or discontent. They looked…happy.

Serena drew in a sharp breath. This was an alternate universe? How did vampires even get there? "Its not exactly paradise. Why would they want to return here so bad?"

"Because it is paradise to them, Serena. It's where there wasn't the constant threat of death. Although there are humans here as a blood source, there are groups of them banding together against vampires. They are fighting back. In the other world, vampires were allowed to do anything they wanted and suffer no consequences, unless it was to another of their kind, or their superiors. There are much more dangers in this world then in theirs. Here, there are rogue angels trying to kill every vampire they come across, vampire hunters, werewolves, and peace treaties with elves and demons to uphold. There are just too many responsibilities for vampires and not enough freedom. There are restraints in this world."

"If there was so many freedoms there, why were they kicked out of it as punishment?" Serena asked curiously.

"Ah, now that's the question. It's been so long that the reason of why has been changed and elaborated as the years passed. Apparently there was one rule while they lived there. No eating of the _Rakmanla. _It was another species that shared the same universe with the vampires, however they evolved in such a way that they were unable to kill. They weren't even allowed to be violent. So the superiors of that universe declared that this peaceful race was to be left alone. And vampires never went near them, didn't have any reason to be near them.

"But when one of the vampires ventured off from the rest of the undead, he suffered blood loss. He needed to feed, and that's when he found one of the _Rakmanla_. However, he didn't know what it was. Bleary eyed from the blood deprivation, he attacked it and devoured it. When the superiors found out they gathered the vampires and sent not just the perpetrator but the entire race to this world. A young and distant planet it was, full of liquid fire and unusual animals. Of course they had no idea that humans would evolve on this planet, but they did. And as the originals died off they passed on their knowledge to those that they turned. Showing them all that there was out there. And here we are millions upon millions of years later still trying to get there. Waiting for the person to restore us to that other world, to that heaven."

Serena looked back at the little television and seemed to understand their longing to go back. But did they _all _want to go back?

"Who are these superiors you keep talking about?" Serena asked.

"I'm not to sure. I don't think anyone knows really. There's no memory record of ever seeing one."

"But how did you get this then?"

"This memory was extracted just before the last original died. We weren't able to salvage anything regarding the superiors."

"Well, do you think we could get in contact with them?"

Jared laughed, "No, I don't think we could."

Serena frowned. "Way to not be open minded."

"Sorry, it's just that they dumped all the vampires here. I don't think they would want to get in contact."

"Well, maybe that's something you should have been concentrating on instead of just waiting for this prophecy girl to do all the work for you."

"Why are you getting angry at me? I don't care whether or not they ever go back. They deserve to die, almost every single one of these vampires. If you knew half of what these vamps did then you would think so too. You wouldn't want to help them."

"Stop right there. Don't say something you will regret. A lot of them are awful but so are human beings. Do you want them all dead too?"

He didn't say anything but looked down, away from her gaze.

"Right, I thought so," she said. "There are shades of gray, Jared. Maybe some people don't deserve it, but others do. And to condemn a whole race for someone's mistakes makes you no better than some of them. It makes you just like those superiors that sent them here."

"I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "You're right. I don't want any massacres. But there are just some things that leave someone bitter. You know?"

"I know," she said with a small smile.

"Here," he said, clearing his throat. "Let me put this back and then we'll go get you some lunch, sound good?" he asked.

She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.

He smiled back before lifting the mini T.V and leaving through the door on the right.

_So vampires were taken from this world because some stupid vamp ate a…whatever the hell that was. And they've been trying to get back all this time, waiting for me, apparently. to bring them back. Well how the hell am I supposed to do that? Why do they even think I'm capable? Because I have super strength, I slow down time, and I kill things with strange waves of energy? Oh, and fireballs of light. There's nothing that says I teleport people to alternate universes. If they think I'm capable of that then they're gonna be sadly mistaken… _

"Back," Jared suddenly declared, but he strode right by her, as if he were avoiding her gaze and held the door open for her.

"Everything ok?" she asked. Something seemed off about him.

"Fine," he answered her shortly, looking throughout the room.

She frowned but exited the room, back into the library, following the way they had come.

"No, that way," he said, pointing off to the right.

"But that's…." she started, but he cut her off.

"It's a shortcut to the kitchens. Just go right," he said a matter of factly.

"Sure," she answered, leading the way down the aisle of books to the right. She walked on, not exactly sure where she was going, but sure he would tell her if she was supposed to turn. When she glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was still following her, he wasn't there.

Serena stopped and turned, startled. The aisles were empty. "Jared?" she called. She looked around, hoping to see him on the other side of the bookcase, but there was no one. "Jared!" she called a little louder. _Great, now I'm lost in their stupid enormous library. _"This isn't funny!"

* * *

William watched as Serena looked about the shelves, most likely wondering where the hell Jared was. He smirked to himself, but followed her movements, careful to keep himself hidden. His red eyes glittered as he stared at her, quietly moving towards her. He eased towards her unsuspectingly, and then suddenly wrapped his arms tight around her waist, placing a hand quickly over her mouth to muffle her shout of fear. "Shh, we're in the library."

She struggled against him, recognizing the dangerous tone to his voice, but he spun her around, so that she was facing him and pushed her into the bookcase.

She grunted in pain, but his hand stayed fast on her mouth. He sighed, moving into her body, fitting his large, strong lines into her long, lean form. He was so close that if he moved his hand their noses would have been touching. He stared into her deep green eyes, full of fear and shock, and grinned sadistically. "Seems your powers aren't all that up to par, Serena. Generally they would have emerged, wouldn't they? When you feel endangered? Or scared. Your scared now aren't you?" he asked.

She glared at him before starting to struggle again.

"Maybe you subconsciously recognize who I am when I'm in your presence, even if you can't see me. I'm familiar to you, and because of that your powers wont emerge against me. Besides, you don't really want to use them."

Serena mumbled against his hand, but he grinned, ignoring her. "I knew you'd warm up to me in time, but you should clamp that mouth shut if you know what's good for you."

Her eyes shot daggers at him as she felt her lips shutting together. She damned him and his stupid chocker of obedience. Why couldn't her powers work all the time? Then she wouldn't have to ever do as he commanded again.

He removed his hand slowly, worried she would shout out, but she didn't. Her mouth remained closed.

William grinned victoriously, moving his hand from her face into her hair. His other gripped her waist tightly, pulling to him closely. "Stand still," he whispered, descending even closer to her. "There's something you should know." He suddenly stepped away from her, leaving her motionless in her place. "And I thought the news should come from me because we're just so close," he taunted. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a bunch of stapled papers.

Serena had no choice but to stand there as he talked. She cursed the chain around her neck causing her to physically obey every word he uttered.

"Adoption papers," he said, cocking his head and he held them up for her to see.

Her eyes widened as she read her name, the _real_ one, Gabriella, and her parents' names from the sheet. _This cant be true, _she thought to herself, feeling like a knife had just been shoved through her heart.

"There's your name, the adoption company, and the adopting parents' names. Isn't that funny?" he asked, but there was no humor in his tone. He looked ready to commit murder. "Here I thought you were human, with human parents, as the Three believed, or should I say the Two now, considering you killed one. But you were _adopted_. Doesn't that add a little flavor to this Gabriella show? ADOPTED!" he shouted, throwing the papers into her face.

Serena closed her eyes as tears began forming. _It's not true, they have to be forged. _

He let out an angry sigh and ran his fingers through his hair furiously. "You aren't even human," he whispered, but still she heard. And she couldn't bare it.

"You're not human!" he shouted again.

_You don't know that, _she thought, hating the fact that he wouldn't let her say it out loud. _You assume, once again. _

"And if you're not human, you're something else. And guess what you are going to do, Serena?" he asked, forcing himself into her personal space again.

She could feel his length pressing unyieldingly into hers, but still she didn't open her eyes.

"You're going to sit in this library, looking through these books and diaries and history books, to discover just what it is that you can do, what you are, and why everyone in this place seems to think that you're some sort of savior," he hissed, his lips brushing against hers every time he spoke. He kissed her unresponsive lips, quickly and harshly before stepping away from her.

"Now you're going to take these," he said, reaching into his jacket to remove a pair of handcuffs and holding them out to her. "And you're going to chain your wrist to the table as Alyssa pulls all the books you're going to read through. When you're done she'll bring you to get some food, then come to my room."

And with that he left her there, to pick up the handcuffs that had been dropped to the floor, to do exactly what he told her to do.

* * *

_Oh, anyone notice that the potion he was talking about was the one Dementia used in Full Moons to transport away from Chace to the lycans? Just wondering. ;)_

Notes:

_The difference between Jared and William is the red eyes. Hope that makes things a little clearer. _

_If you can come up with something better for the prophecy let me know.  
_

_Michael will be coming back. I know I always say this "He'll be back soon" but there's just so much to write!_

_The dream is definitely important and not forgotten. Stay tuned. _

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	35. Family

_Thanks to everyone for the reviews and all the awesome comments_

_There will be between 50-55 chapters of the story, and hopefully they'll all coincide with my other Fic eventually. But you definitely dont have to read the other one to get this one, so enjoy!_

* * *

Third Floor, Library

Huge sobs raked Serena's body as she laid her head in her hands over the desk she was chained to. She hated William. She hated him with every fiber of her being.

The adoption papers were legitimate. They had all of her parents…wait, no, they weren't her biological parents, they were her adoptive parents. Fresh tears streamed down her face as she looked over the papers once more. On them contained all of the adoptive information; where they lived, what they did for a living, their birthdays, where they were born, social insurance numbers, even her Grandparents names. Then there was her name. _Reina Anielka. _It wasn't Serena or Gabriella…but _Reina. _It sounded foreign…but it sounded right. She tried to read it out loud but she was sure she failed to make the precise pronunciation…

Apparently it had been her mother that had dropped her off at the orphanage. The note on the papers stated that she seemed to be hysterical and anxious, like she was running from something.

Her mother had dropped her off as a newborn, barely four months old. Serena wondered what her mother was like, if she had been nice, what her job had been, why she had given her up, what the hell she was running from. As she looked over the papers she read that her adoptive parents had renamed her.

_Why wouldn't they have told me this? _She asked herself. Serena felt like she should be furious, but she wasn't. Even though for all these years she had believed she was something she wasn't, she couldn't be angry with the people that had raised her like their own child. Maybe her mother…or the person she believed to be her mother, lied to her all this time because she had wanted a child so bad. Maybe they had planned to tell her?

Serena read the profiles of her adoptive parents. They had been young, and happy, and in love. What had happened to make their love disintegrate? What was it that had turned her father into a raging alcoholic?

She remembered back to that fateful night when she had completely totaled the kitchen and living room of her childhood house. Serena closed her eyes as she thought back to it.

_"What the hell have you done?" screamed her father, shaking her painfully. He had been referring to the fact that she had called the police on him. He pushed her away from him and into the little island in the middle of the room. She winced as the counter made hard contact with her lower back._

_"You're no daughter of mine," he sneered, reaching into the back of his jeans and pulling out a handheld shotgun. He lifted the gun and pointed it menacingly at her._

Her eyes widened. He had even told her that night that she wasn't his kin, his blood…his daughter. She had thought he was just saying things. Turns out he had been telling the truth.

_I wish…_she started to think but a loud BANG shock her from her thoughts.

Alyssa stood over her, long dreadlocks hanging limply around her face. She had dropped a stack of what looked like textbooks on the table in front of Serena, which had created the loud bang. However Serena didn't even glance at them, she was so taken aback by Alyssa's appearance.

The skinny girl looked a lot different from the last time Serena had seen her. She no longer wore her tight fitting outfits or massive amounts of makeup. She looked like she had been living on the streets for the past week and a bit. It seemed Michael's absence had taken its toll.

Serena sniffed softly, quickly rubbing away the tears around her eyes, "Am I supposed to go through all of them?"

"These and many more," Alyssa answered, her voice dripping with poison.

Serena was about to say something else but Alyssa angrily grabbed her wrist and unchained it.

"You could get in trouble," Serena said, rubbing her wrist as it was released.

"Bite me," snapped Alyssa before walking away stiffly.

Serena smiled to herself. Alyssa had unchained her against a direct order from William to keep her there. Even though she seemed like a stuck up bitch, maybe Alyssa wasn't so bad. Her bark seemed a lot worse than her bite.

She glanced at the books Alyssa had dropped on the table. _Ancient Creatures in Modern Times, Mythology and Vampires, The Treasury of Assorted Beings, Rare and Powerful Immortals, Annunukimai, Burgatorkins, Encyclopedia of Unknown and Rare Entities, The Diversity of the Immortal Beings_. She eyed them wearily and started flipping through them. As she browsed the main entries she found that her body wasn't being forced to carry out the action. She was consciously making the decision to read through these texts not because of the stupid pendant she was forced to wear…

William had directly commanded her to read through the texts…hadn't he?

"Now you're going to take these," he said, reaching into his jacket to remove a pair of handcuffs and holding them out to her. "And you're going to chain your wrist to the table as Alyssa pulls all the books you're going to read through. When you're done she'll bring you to get some food, then come to my room."

Indirectly she was told to read through them but the action of reading was a mental process, and he couldn't control her mind, just her body. She didn't have to read through these stupid books. She grinned and stood, taking a look around to see where she was exactly in the library. It didn't really do any good, she hadn't ever been in here. She sighed. _Well I can either sit here, and wait for Alyssa to take me back or I can try to leave..._and with that she took off down the aisles of the bookcases.

It was a complete maze. Serena was pretty sure she got lost in about two seconds. She took a right and then a left within the grand dark oak bookcases, and tried to go back to her stack of books but found they weren't there anymore. So she kept walking, admiring the shelves and the many different types of books found on them when she came to an opening. Then she groaned.

Above her stood three other levels and one below her. _Weren't there only four floors in the entire place? _She thought to herself. She sighed and started up the stairs. She knew her bedroom was on the fourth floor so just going all the way to the top seemed like the right idea.

There seemed to be every book ever written lying somewhere in this library, maybe even some that weren't known to mortals as well. There were books of magic, alternate dimensions, different kinds of creatures, biographies of the royal vampire families. She also noticed Anne Rice's novels and almost laughed. She wondered what real vampires thought of the different mortal versions of vampires.

Finally she reached the top of the library and began to look for a door. Again she was lost in the numerous stacks of shelves. _At least this is better than being…_she suddenly stopped.

Serena ducked behind a rather large bookcase and peered between the shelves. She had heard voices.

There stood two vampires in what looked like a rather compromising situation. As she crept closer she noticed that it was Brett, the dark and blond haired vampire that had propositioned her for a good time when Michael still laid claim to her. He had also prevented her from bashing in Shane's head. In his arms was Kiki, the raccoon haired girl from the party where Michael had kidnapped her.

Serena kept herself hidden and watched quietly as Kiki struggled to remove his arms from her.

"We cant do this anymore Brett! He'll find out!" Kiki whispered, clearly upset.

"I cant help it! You're unlike any other person I've met Kiks. It's been thirty years! Damn him! Let him send me to the Abyss, but he has to know how we feel about each other! I don't want to keep this hidden anymore. You're my everything." and with that Brett gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

Serena's eyes widened. Kiki was his everything and yet he had wanted to 'get to know her' when he first met her? Yeah right. And who were they trying to hide from? Who would send Brett to the abyss for loving someone?

She crept along before she was sure they wouldn't see her and then walked away quickly. Not really looking where she was going she found herself in front of a series of doors. Serena groaned. She hated this place. But still, she chose a door, looking in it before entering. There was no way she would be caught in a feeding fest again. No one was there.

It seemed to be a study, a grand study. It was dark, but elegant. It was simply furnished with a desk, a tall bookcase and a high swiveling chair. She sat down and admired the desk. If only she were this important to have a space like this. She opened the drawer eagerly and saw a bunch of files. Glancing through them there seemed to be nothing of importance within them. There were just random names of people she had no idea who they were.

Then she saw it. It was a photograph of a girl, probably in her mid-twenties with long flaming red hair and brilliant hazel eyes. Serena was reminded of Merishka, but the flaming hair was where the similarities of the two women ended. The woman in the photograph seemed…virtuous. She was full of life, a sparkle in her eyes that denoted amusement, a little mischief, and goodness. She looked tall with long legs, an athletic build, high cheekbones, full lips, and straight white teeth. She was reminded of someone but she couldn't quite place who it was…

The picture looked old, as if it had been held many times over the past couple of decades. Serena placed it back into the desk and began looking through more files.

Voices suddenly sounded outside the door and Serena shoved the files back inside, looking around for a hiding spot. The doorhandle jiggled and Serena rushed towards it, hoping to hide behind the door when it opened.

In walked Jadis with the leader of the Elders, who looked more tall and domineering then ever. She held her breath, wishing beyond anything that she could just disappear right where she was. She closed her eyes as they entered the room.

"I saw it in her head, Drake! You can't deny it, no matter how much you want to."

There was a pause before, "Who else have you told Jadis?" he asked, his deep voice reverberating off the walls.

"No one, Drake, I swear."

"If I tell you what you want to know will you swear by pain of death that you will tell no soul in the entire universes?"

"I swear on pain of death Drake. You are my oldest friend, I would not betray you," Jadis vowed, a dark purple cloud wrapping itself around her before seeping into her clothing.

Serena's mouth opened in wonder. _What the hell had that been?_

Drake sighed, sitting in his desk chair, putting his hands in his hair, which stood as two points on the side of his head, like a wolf. "Close the door Jadis."

Jadis did as she was commanded and closed the door tightly.

Serena closed her eyes as she waited to be spotted. But no one said anything. She listened as Jadis sat in the chair in front of the desk before opening her eyes in amazement. Had they really not seen her?

"Jadis, Serena is…Serena is my daughter."

Serena put her hand to her mouth to keep from gasping out loud.

The sudden motion made Drake look up towards the door. His eyes glanced over her, exactly where she was standing, but he didn't seem to see her. Jadis turned her head to see what he was looking at but she looked back at him. "Something wrong?"

He tilted his head slightly before looking away. "No, nothing. I must be seeing things from blood deprivation." He rubbed his temples lightly and sighed.

Jadis looked at him in sympathy. "When was the last time you saw Amik, Drake?" she asked softly.

"Almost twenty years ago."

"That's when I'm guessing Serena was born?"

"Yes," he answered softly.

"Did you even know about her before she was brought here?"

"No," he answered shortly, his eyes blazing with fury.

"But you felt something when you saw her?"

"The exact moment she entered the council room I knew she was mine. I knew she was Amik's."

"Well, they are quite similar except for the red hair…"

Serena's face turned to realization. That photograph she had been looking at in Drake's dresser had been her mother…Amik.

The two vampires didn't say anything for a while, but Serena was hardly paying attention to them anyways.

She felt her heart pounding harder then it ever had. It felt like it was going to explode if she didn't leave this room soon. But she was afraid to move, afraid that if she moved they would suddenly see her. And that was the last thing she wanted at this point in time.

"I've…I've done some research about her, Drake. She was left at St. Andrew's Orphanage when she was four months old, then almost immediately adopted. They took good care of her until she was about 10 years old. Then the father started to drink and get out of hand. It is to be assumed that she suffered much, as did the adoptive mother. Then all traces of her vanish when she turned 15. Her father and mother are both dead, the father having killed the mother, then it's said a homemade bomb killed him. Their kitchen and living room were completely demolished with the blast as well. What the police don't seem to understand is how the bodies remained intact.

"I believe her power emerged that night. She was the one that created the blast and killed her father. She was most likely scared, ran away and no trace of her has been seen since.

"A couple of years later Michael began to stalk her, having seen her at some club apparently. Then when she arrived at the same party he abducted her, while Shane turned Lana. I think you know the rest of this story."

Drake nodded his head, his eyes distant, like he was in some far away place.

"But what I don't understand, Drake, is that you let Jared take her. One of the most dangerous vampires within this coven demanded the right to take her and you didn't say anything. Why?"

Drake sighed, his voice pained when he answered. "Because she would already be dead if anyone knew she was mine. She would have been hunted not only by some of those angered within our own coven, but those wishing revenge against me. The lycans, demons, anyone who would want to hold something against me could have taken her and killed her. Even though the vampire in Jared can be torturous, she is much safer with him then anyone else. He wouldn't kill her, he feels something for her, even if he doesn't know it. Even I could not protect her the way that he does."

Jadis looked at her old friend and let a bloody tear escape her eye. "I am sorry."

Serena suddenly gripped the door handle and flung it open, running through it.

Drake and Jadis stood abruptly, wondering who the hell would be stupid enough to spy on Drake in his own office before chasing after them.

* * *

Note:

___The story is completely original. I know this is Fanfiction BUT oh well! While I like reading the popular vampire stories out there, it seems like vampires have lost their edge. Because of that, I was nervous when I posted that people wouldn't like it but all the reviews are great! Thanks again for your awesome compliments._

_If anything is confusing please message me! _

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	36. Vampire

_I know its short, but it was supposed to go with the other chapter...but then it would be too long for my liking._

_Thanks to everyone for the reviews and all the awesome comments_

* * *

Fourth Floor Hallway

"You cant do this!" shouted Jared angrily, tugging at the invisible chains holding him down within his mind.

"Well, obviously I can," snapped William, walking down the hallway to his room.

"When I manage to get out of these I'm never going to let you back out!" Jared spat.

"Am I going crazy?" William asked himself out loud. Even though it was he that everyone was seeing in the hallway, Jared was still there taking up space in his mind. But they had never been able to communicate before, and William found he hated the newfound connection. "I thought when I got to come out and play you went on time out in the dark room called your subconscious!"

"Not this time, you crazy fuck. I'm not going to let you control me like this anymore, I want you out for good!"

"Well, considering the fact that we're sharing the same body I don't see that happening anytime soon," growled Will.

"When I gain control I'm going to make sure you never come back!"

"See that's where you're wrong. My will is stronger than yours. That's why right now I get to keep control of all your bodily functions and you don't. That's why everyone here is staring at me like I'm talking to myself. No one can hear you, and no one will help you. You're my meat puppet. So shut up and be quiet!" he shouted angrily. Suddenly William could no longer hear Jared and he smirked to himself. "That was a little easier than I thought it would be," he said to himself, continuing his walk down the hallway, ignoring the stares he was receiving.

Jared struggled in the bonds that held him still. William may be strong, but Jared felt himself getting stronger as well.

Before meeting Serena, William had never emerged this much. Maybe once or twice a month he would come out and wreck havoc on the coven, but it was only for a night, or until he had had his fill of blood…or whatever else it was that he wanted. But now things were different.

It seemed that every time Serena was there, William became crazed, forcing himself to the surface and shoving Jared into their subconscious. Jared wasn't sure how William was doing it now when he couldn't before, but he wanted it to stop. Immediately.

Although Jared's strength and will power were growing, it didn't seem to be quite enough yet. But he didn't want to be the one left in the dark anymore, and he was going to find a way to separate him and William once and for all.

As he sat in the complete darkness of his own mind he began plotting.

* * *

Serena felt her heart racing. She had just outrun both Jadis and Drake and had somehow managed to get out of the library and back into the hallways of the Midairne castle. She wasn't too sure that being out in the open was such a good idea, but anything seemed better than being face to face with her father right now.

But now she found herself lost in the hallways of the castle instead of the library. _Shit, _she thought to herself.

"Serena!" shouted a voice.

"What?" she asked, spinning around to find the source, praying to whoever was looking out for her…or wasn't because she wouldn't have gotten into this mess if they were, that the person wasn't a vampire.

"Serena!" glared Alyssa. "What the fuck are you doing out of the library?"

"Um…"

"Whatever, come with me," she snapped, pulling the blond by her arm down the hallway.

Alyssa brought her to the nearest kitchen and placed a grilled cheese sandwich in front of her. "I don't have time for anything fancy."

Serena nodded her head and dug in, not having realized how hungry she was until that moment. "So, I'm really sorry about Michael being away for that much longer…" she started to say between bites.

Alyssa didn't say anything.

"I'm sure you two were close…"

"Look, Serena, Miss Golden Girl, I'm sure you're oh so sorry but do me a favor and shut up. I wasn't ordered to sit and have girl talk with you. Just eat and when you're done I'm bringing you to Jared."

Serena immediately closed her mouth. She had wanted to connect with Alyssa on some level, but if she was going to be a bitch…

* * *

As soon as Serena put the last piece of crust on her plate, Alyssa snatched it up and gripped her arm once again. She led her through the castle, passing her bedroom before continuing to Jared's. However, they stopped in front of William's feeding room.

"I don't think this is…"

Alyssa opened the door and practically shoved her through, slamming it as she walked back down the hall.

Serena frowned as she turned around. Then she felt herself want to hurl as she looked up into the room. It was like déjà vu. William sat on his bed, feasting on a man laid down face first on the bed. As the victim's head turned towards her she saw that his mouth had been sewed shut. _Oh my god,_ she thought to herself in angered disbelief. There were so many cuts and bruises across the man's body, it looked like William had beat him before eating him. And then she heard whimpering and noticed a woman tied to a chair being forced to watch what was being played out.

Her face contorted in rage as she walked towards the captive. She was about to untie the woman when William was suddenly in front of her. "What do you think you are doing?" he asked dangerously.

She noticed for the first time that he was naked, as was the woman, but the man on the bed was fully clothed or would have been not for the rips and tares on them. "These are innocent people William," she hissed, drawing herself up to her full height. It didn't do much, he still stood quite a few inches taller than her, even though he was slouching.

"Actually, he's a pedophile, and she's a thief."

"You disgust me! Just because they've done awful things doesn't mean they deserve this! They deserved to be tried in a court of law! You're torturing them!"

"I thought you should be reminded of what I was Serena. It seemed like you forgot," he stated, an evil glint in his eye as he brushed a hair away from her eyes.

She slapped his hand away. "I would never forget what you are," she hissed. "You've always disgusted me."

"Then you can stand there and watch," he commanded. "I was going to make you participate, but if you really understand what it is to be a vampire, you can just stand there and do _nothing."_

Serena felt her legs stiffen and her eyes go wide as the pendant took its toll on her. She was cemented to the floor.

He smirked down at her and brought his hands to cup her face. He licked her bottom lip before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. She sneered at him as he walked back to the man. "Don't do it," she said.

"Or what? You'll just stand there helplessly?" he asked, picking up the man as if he were a rag doll and biting into his shoulder blade, splattering blood all over the woman tied in the chair. She screamed, as her naked body was drenched with the man's insides.

William dropped the man on the ground unceremoniously as he stepped towards the woman. Her screams grew in sound and pitch as he hovered over her. "Shut up!" he shouted, snapping the woman's neck. She was dead instantly and Serena watched, tears streaming down her face as he walked back to her.

He tilted her face up towards his. "Maybe one day you'll be feeding with me," he whispered, his blood soaked hands caressing up and down her face.

"I would never," she sobbed angrily.

"Never say never," was his reply as he possessed her mouth.

* * *

_If anything is confusing please message me! _

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	37. Seizures and Powers

_Thanks everybody that reviews all the time! It really means a lot!  
_

* * *

Fourth Floor, William's Room

The next morning she awoke to find William not in the bed beside her. She looked around to find him dressing. She looked away with a blush and lay back down on the bed.

"Wake up," he said, throwing a red sundress at her. "You have work to do."

And with that Serena found herself back in the library with a ton of books stacked in front of her. "Start reading," said William, slamming another set of texts in front of her.

* * *

Serena sighed as she leafed through the textbook in front of her. William watched her intensely from across the table, drumming his fingers on the table in boredom. "I can't read if you're watching me," she said in exasperation, putting down the book.

"Well if I don't then how do I know you're actually reading them Serena? Seems like that fancy necklace cant make you read anything so I'm going to have to sit here and threaten you do to it."

"Then why don't you help instead of just staring?"

"Nah, I like looking at you more."

Serena frowned and pulled up the book to cover her face. When she heard his fingers stop moving she glanced over it, then nearly jumped out of her skin when she was just inches away from his face.

"Find anything interesting yet?" he asked.

She stuttered to make an answer, pushing her chair back from him, who was hunched over her form. "N…no, nothing yet. But then again you've been distracting me this whole time so I haven't really had a chance to go over anything."

He tilted his head and continued to stare at her, watching as her breathing calmed and her heartbeat slowed. "Ok," he replied, going back to sit in his chair, pulling a book towards him.

_Oh my god, he's crazy_ she thought to herself, reading the passage within the text.

_"When thrown to earth,_

_they will have to wait,_

_for the girl of worth_

_to arrive at their gate…"_

A girl of worth. What did that mean exactly? Worth what? Power, honor, intelligence, a person worthy of showing them the way back to their world?

"Anything yet?" he asked again.

"William! Holy shit. Shut up!" she snapped, rereading the passage.

He looked at her with murderous. But she didn't notice. When he was about to snap back, she interrupted him, still unaware of his blazing red eyes.

"These prophecies. How many are there? I've heard one from Jared, and here's another one. How many are there just saying the same thing?"

"Dozens," he answered in an angered whisper, his nostrils flaring from her previous statement.

"Has no one tried to piece them all together? There are subtle hints in every single one of them. If we could manage to take all the clues from each then we'll be able to see who it really is."

"We? What we, Mouse? You're going to find out. And when you do, then you can tell me."

Serena frowned. "This would go a lot more quickly if you were to help."

"I'm not really a team player," he said, lifting his feet onto the table and slouching in his chair, reading his book, which she noticed was a random fictional mortal book.

Serena put the book down and made a note of the text and page before pulling another one towards her.

That was when William made a gurgling noise. Serena looked up, startled, and gasped in surprise at what she saw.

He was bent backwards over the chair, his eyes rolling back into his head, white foam leaking out of his mouth, and his body seemed to be in complete paralysis.

"William?" she asked loudly. She looked around the library, worried. She hated the vampire, but she couldn't just let him die in front of her, could she? "William!" she shouted loudly, approaching his stiff form. _Was he having an episode of epilepsy? Did vampires even get epilepsy? _She grabbed the pen off the table and shoved it horizontally in his mouth then pulled his long form onto the ground and held him still.

She should just let him suffer. God knew he made her on numerous occasions, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. That would make her exactly like him, and she wasn't. She wouldn't ever be like him.

When his body went slack, she removed the pen from his mouth and stretched him out flat on his back. She looked at his closed eyes and his dead form, checking for any outward signs of damage. _I guess fifth grade first aid does come in handy_ she thought to herself. When her fingers touched his cheek gently his red eyes snapped open and he grabbed her hand tightly. In a fluid motion, he shot up, dragging her with him by her hand. "What happened?" he snapped, looking at where he had been on the ground. "What did you do?"

"I…I didn't do anything. You started convulsing, I think you had an epileptic episode…" Serena quickly.

"No, that's not possible," he started, looking around the library once more, as if searching for a culprit.

"Well it happened…"

"Its not possible!" he shouted, pulling her roughly to him. "I'm dead, if you haven't forgotten."

"How could I forget? You remind me every day!" she snapped, ripping her hand from his grip and stepping away.

He didn't seem to care; he was too busy thinking over what had happened. "I have no brain activity. I couldn't have epilepsy…its not possible…" he muttered. "I have to go. Stay or leave I don't care, but don't come crying to me if someone tries to eat you."

And with that he was gone, using his superhuman speed to run away from her.

_Well what the fuck, _she thought.

* * *

"You did this didn't you, you sick fuck?" William snapped as he strode down the hallway.

_I didn't do anything, _Jared answered, sitting in his dark corner.

"You want to come out so badly you're willing to ruin your own body to do it!" he shouted, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the other vampires in the hallway.

_How could I do anything like that? We're dead. I couldn't force neuronal activity even if I wanted to, _Jared answered, somewhat annoyed.

"Then we a common enemy, Jared. Someone's doing this to us. And when I find out who it is, they're going to be sorry they were ever given immortality."

* * *

"_There will arise among you a woman, _

_With the power of light and the love of darkness,_

_of whom you will follow_

_If there is to be hope of achieving rebirth_

_ In the place of salvation"_

Exert 386 from _The Myths and Legends of the Immortal Race. _

Serena closed the book tiredly. She had been rummaging through these books for hours and couldn't find anything of use other then a list of prophecies. There was no mention of the type of creature or person that was supposed to lead them, not how they were going to be led, and certainly not who the hell it was other then a woman with power.

She was supposed to be reading to try and find out what _she _was, but she couldn't help but think these prophecies could help her somehow.

In reference to the prophecy child:

_Thou will show us the path to enlightenment,_

_To our rightful place beside the gods in a heaven of blood. _

**_And where am I supposed to start looking in regards to what I'm supposed to be? Well…half vampire for sure, but who is Amik? I'm sure I've heard that name before…Perhaps I can ask David? Well, if I knew where he was…_**

Then she saw it. It wasn't a very large book, but its title caught her attention all the same. Hidden beneath a stack of books was a gray colored, disintegrating book called _The Incantations of Magick_. It was authorless, as were most of the immortal or magically texts, but there was a long list of different spells and potions that one could do with the right 'gift'. What type of gift?

The first incantation was a simple one, for a beam of light in the palm of one's hand. Well…she could already create great bursts of light…maybe she was capable of pulling off something like this?

"_Raise the hand you wish to conjure with and think clearly of what you wish to do; which is to create a small beam of light. Once the thought is clear in your psyche, whisper the incantation _**_Vegrandis lux lucis fulsi._**"

_Note: A skilled sorcerer is capable of performing this spell with both hands without the incantation._

Serena raised her right palm outward and thought of the beam of light coming from her hand. A sudden wave of light exploded from her hand and crashed into the nearest bookcase, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud BANG. _Holy shit_ she thought, grabbing the book and leaving the library as fast as possible.

* * *

Serena walked quickly from the library, almost at a run. She ascended the stairs and almost collided with a solid form. As she lost her footing and fell backwards, the figure gripped her arm and pulled her back onto the stairs.

"Serena?" he asked.

"David! Oh my god, I'm so happy to see you!" she said, hugging him around the waist. He was taller than her by a couple of inches, and him standing a stair higher didn't help.

"It's only been a day…"

"It seems like forever," she mumbled against his chest before pulling back and looking at him. She smiled, and stepped up to stand on the same stair as him.

"Where were you going?" he asked in confusion. "I thought William would have had you chained to him at all times…"

"I'm going back to my room. He just left in a rush. Said he had to be somewhere. Not that I care. He can do whatever the hell he wants."

"Uh huh…what's that?" he asked, pointing to her book, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, nothing, just something from the library. He's making me read through all of them so I thought why not just bring some with me…"

"Serena, you're the worst liar," smiled David, grabbing the book from her hands. "_Incantations of Magick_. Interesting. William wont take you to see Jadis, so you're going to learn all on your lonesome?"

Serena shuffled her feet, avoiding his gaze. "That was the idea… but I don't want him to know."

"I wont tell a soul. But if you want to practice you should use the training rooms in the basement. No one will bother you there during the day."

"Thanks David…I'll try it out."

* * *

"What the hell is happening to me Jadis?" demanded William as he paced in her office.

"I wouldn't know William since you haven't let me examine you yet. No matter how much I wish for x-ray vision I never seem to get it!" she snapped. Jadis had little patience for William. She hated it when he emerged, which had been an on going thing ever since the Prophecy Child had appeared.

William growled and sat down in the chair angrily.

"Sit still as I search," she said soothingly, trying to calm him before placing her delicate hand to his forehead.

Based on what he had told her, he believed he had suffered a seizure, which was basically impossible for a vampire. What animated the dead had nothing to do with biology, unlike those who were living. Vampires had no brain waves, heartbeat, hair growth, and so on and so forth. She thought he was going crazy…well, more so then he already was.

With her psychic abilities she began looking through his dead brain tissue, not noticing anything uncommon for a vampire's brain. All the lobes were still intact: Frontal, Occipital, Temporal, and Parietal. She traveled further in, looking for any signs that could trigger neuronal re-growth. There was nothing. Everything seemed to be in order…for someone who was dead.

She removed her hand; "There's nothing wrong with you Jar…William. Everything in your brain seems in perfect order. Its all dead tissues like its supposed to be."

William sat up angrily. "Then look again Jadis! I'm telling you something's there that you are missing! Ask Serena! I went into a full-blown seizure! Something's happening."

Jadis sighed. "There's nothing there. And you wont find anyone more qualified then myself to tell you that. Rest William. This dual relationship you and Jared share must be affecting you. Rest up William. Get some blood into you. Nothing stressful. Maybe let Jared take the reins for a bit."

"Are you out of your fucking mind? Yeah, I'll just let Jared run around trying to find a way to kill me off. No thanks. Bye Elder Jadis," he said angrily with a bow before leaving.

* * *

_If anything is confusing please message me! _

_Notes:_

_She's Drake's daughter! Amik is her mother, the rogue angel that has killed a total of 3 elders so far. Jadis knows this because she was able to read Serena's mind earlier on in the story. _

_Michael hasnt been forgotten, but it hasnt been time for his return quite yet. _

_Serena's power include, so far, invisibility, superstrength, slowing time, the energy which can kill mortals and knock out immortals (unless they have proper spell protection against that). Sometimes her eyes change colour when she is using a massive amount of power. Am I forgetting anything?  
_

_William does love her in his own kind of twisted way!  
_

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	38. It Gets Even More Confusing

_Thanks everybody that reviews all the time! It really means a lot!  
_

* * *

Basement, Training Room

"Light up," she whispered. Serena sat in the dark of the training room holding out her hand and concentrating hard. She was willing a ball of light to appear in it.

She soon found herself thinking so hard about it that beads of sweat dripped down her face. She let out a gasp and brought her hand down. _Nothing, _she thought to herself. "I'll try fire then."

Again she tried and nothing happened. "What the fuck!" she shouted, throwing the withered spell book across the room.

"You shouldn't try so hard," said a friendly voice from the doorway.

Serena spun around in surprise to find one of the Elders in the room with her. "Amelia," she breathed. There, standing in front of her was the woman embodying grace and elegance. Her long curly light brown hair streaked with gold flowed around her delicate face as she moved towards Serena. Her large hazel eyes looked at the girl curiously.

It was hard to pull her gaze away from the woman, but Serena managed to, only to notice that the Elder was holding out a book for Serena to take. "Don't expect so much your first time," she said, her musical voice reverberating off the walls.

Serena took the book, almost gasping out loud at their brushing of fingers. The woman's skin was deathly cold. Willing herself not to look back at the Elder she said, "Uh…well, it's just that I've done these sorts of things before, but I've never really willed them to happen. These powers just sort of…come out unexpectedly. I just want to try and control them without saying the incantations."

"And you will. Don't worry. Perhaps try to embrace the need to create a fire, or lift an object. Instead of just wanting it to happen, you need to make a fire, you need to levitate a pencil."

"Oh…ok," Serena mutters quietly, still not looking at the woman.

"Go ahead. Try it," smiled Amelia, though the blond didn't see it.

"I don't think I can if someone's watching me…"

"Well, someone will watch you eventually. You mine as well get it out of the way."

Serena finally looked at her and gave her a weak smile. "I guess." She placed the book on the ground and held up her hand. "Light up," she whispered. "Please." A weak ball of light lit up on her hand before sputtering out. "Oh my god!" she cried happily. "I did it!"

Amelia smiled. "Yes, you did."

"But before I was able to create huge blasts. Why isn't it the same here?"

"Perhaps you are gaining more control than you are aware of Miss Serena."

"Maybe…"

"Just practice. You will get better, I promise. Take care, Prophecy Child," Amelia said, before bowing lowly and making her exit.

* * *

"I need blood," William muttered angrily as he strode through the halls looking for Serena. "Where the hell is she?"

Mel was busy dusting a painting when a very red-eyed William came to stand in front of her.

"Have you seen her?" he snapped, grabbing the duster out of her hand.

"Who?" Mel asked weakly, avoiding eye contact.

"Serena!" he hissed, towering over her.

"I'm not sure…"

"Well, if you see her come find me," and with that he dropped her duster to the floor and turned to walk away. "On the other hand…" a feral growl escaped him and he snapped around towards Mel. "I'll just get some fast food." He gripped her neck fiercely and plunged his teeth into her shoulder blade.

* * *

Serena was exhausted. She was only now returning from her private self-taught training session in the basement. She hadn't remembered ever being this tired. She felt like she had run a marathon. But it was going to be worth it.

Even though she hadn't really accomplished much other than lighting up her hand and lifting the book into the air telekinetically, these were essential steps towards her controlling her power. She hoped she would be able to call upon these different powers whenever she liked.

She sighed as she looked at the many more stairs she had to climb. _Can't I just be in my bed already? _she thought. _I do need my rest. _

A loud crack was heard throughout the staircase and she was suddenly hurtling through space. Or more technically, through the upper floors of the castle, landing squarely in her bed with a soft thud. "Holy shit!" she said loudly.

* * *

William let Mel's unconscious figure fall to the floor as he had his fill. "Clean her up," he ordered Liz, who had just entered the hallway.

She looked at him in disbelief and rushed to check Mel's vitals.

"She's alive," he said, straightening his shirt. "She just needs rest and she'll be up and at it tomorrow. Now, have you seen Serena?"

* * *

The forest outside of Midairne castle was quiet, strangely so for the many creatures that seemed to live in it; immortal and natural alike. They seemed to understand instinctively that the presence lurking in their midst was not something they wanted to be anywhere near.

Without a sound it moved, its robes billowing softly behind it as it suddenly stopped behind an old, withered willow tree just on the edge of the tree line. "What news can you bring me?"

Turning to face her expected guest, Amelia stepped out from her hidden spot within the willow tree. "She's learning her powers quickly," said Amelia quietly. "Everyday there seems to be something new that she discovers. And not only that but she seeks to learn control of them."

"Well, a hybrid between a vampire and a fallen angel is obviously going to be extremely powerful. But we are also powerful, Elder Amelia. We will eliminate the crossbreed immediately." A mangled, dark green hand reached out to stroke down Amelia's smooth cheek. "And with her destruction, your coven's will then follow."

Amelia bowed her head in shame, willing herself not to cry. "Yes Memphis."

* * *

_Michael was running at her, pale and frantic, while reaching out towards her. He collapsed just before their hands touched. She fell down to her knees beside him, worried about whatever it was that had him in such a state. Something was wrong, but she didn't understand what it could possibly be in her dreamlike state. She looked down and saw a deep, gaping wound in his gut. She searched his eyes fearfully, "Why isn't it healing?" she felt herself ask. _

_He gasped, clutching his side before wincing, "They're here. Run Serena, please."_

_"No Michael, not without you," she declared, bending over to help him up. "Stay with me Michael!" she shouted at him as his eyes drifted closed. _What they hell did they do to him_? Putting his arm around her shoulders, she supported his weight as she began to walk. _

_Then a horrific growl sounded behind her head and she felt a pang of dread in her stomach as she turned. Standing in front her was a towering beast too hostile for words. It stood 8 ½ feet tall with a thick coat of silver fur covering its entire body. Its ferocious snout opened to bare long, pointed, canine teeth, while it salivated slightly, looking down at the two of them. _

_Serena stared at it in horror, unable to move her feet to get away from the creature. _This must be what Michael meant by _them. _

_It raised a menacing paw and began to swing at them when Serena felt herself call upon the energy. She started to glow with a blinding light and unleashed the energy in a circle around her and Michael. Her dreamlike self seemed to be controlling the force to only touch the creature and not to harm Michael or herself. As she felt the process of harnessing such an abundant amount of power she started to understand. Instead of wielding the power as a weapon like she had always thought, the power became a part of her and seemed to understand what she needed on its own. _

_The ring of white-fired light tore through the werewolf, throwing it backwards to land in an unmoving pile on the ground. Serena breathed heavily from the exertion, and pulled Michael more onto her shoulders. _Why isn't he healing? _She thought worriedly. _

_Her head snapped up when she heard more footsteps coming towards her and noticed Shane. Serena felt an immediate hate, but her dreamlike self seemed relieved. "Help me get him up," She felt herself say._

_Shane picked up his friend like a sack of potatoes and began to run towards the trees just across from the in the yard they were standing in. Serena wanted to look around, suddenly wondering where she was. Were they outside somewhere? Outside the castle? But her dream self was running to catch up with them, not caring where they were, or maybe because she already knew. _

_Unexpectedly she was painfully jerked back by something, and caught by a pair of arms before she fell. But then she felt an unimaginable pain as a knife was plunged quickly into her lower spine. She let out an earsplitting scream before she heard a familiar voice in her ear._

"_So much for prophecy," he whispered, extracting the cold metal and leaving her to fall to the ground._

Serena sat up with a startled cry as little beads of sweat dripped down her face. This was the third time she'd had that dream. There was no doubt in her mind that it was a premonition of what was to come. But when?

The coven was going to be attacked by werewolves, of that she was certain. But when they meant to attack was something she couldn't quite figure out. She used her powers to protect herself and Michael, which meant that Michael must be out of the Abyss and that she had somehow gained control of her powers. Well, that gave her a minimum of 2 days! It was now the fourth day of Michael's new sentence.

She had to find an Elder. Why had this slipped her mind before? She remembered telling Mel about the dream and how she thought it was a premonition of their attack…but what had stopped her from finding help? She blushed as she remembered. That was when she had seen William in his towel. It had completely slipped her mind.

But now she was determined. She had to tell someone, anyone. David seemed like the most obvious choice, but would he listen? She climbed out of bed and pulled on her robe over her somewhat revealing nightgown. _What time was it anyways? Would anyone even be awake? _

Anxiously she opened the door, only to find William directly behind it, red eyes glowing fiercely. He looked down at her smugly as if he had been waiting for her.

Gathering up her courage she stormed past him, "I'm not in the mood to deal with you today, William."

"I don't care what kind of mood you're in," he hissed, gripped her arm tightly and pulling her back towards him. "Where have you been all day?"

"Away from you," she snapped, stepping away from him.

It did no good, he stepped towards her, pushing his body into hers until she bumped against the wall in the hallway.

He smirked down at her. "What's so wrong with me that you have to spend a _whole _day and part of the evening away from me?"

"Well lets see," she snapped, trying to break away from his hold.

He pushed her back against the wall and pressed his mouth onto her neck.

"You're cruel, and violent, and a murderer. Why wouldn't I want to be around that?" she snapped sarcastically, still trying to pry her neck away from him. She gasped as he gripped her legs and lifted her off the ground.

She wrapped them around his waist to keep from falling.

"You forgot shallow, arrogant, and insanely hot," he murmured, still breathing in the sweet smell of her blood. "But lets talk about you. What a revealing nightgown you are wearing with so many hungry vampires in the mansion, knowing I'm learking around. If I didn't know any better I'd say you wanted me to see you like this. Such a _lovely _piece of evening, it doesn't even take much for me to do this."

His hand slipped between her thighs, while two of his fingers plunged themselves into her depths.

She let out a cry. "Oh my god!"

"Call me William."

* * *

_If anything is confusing please message me! _

_Notes:  
_

_William's a vampire, he's dead and has no brain activity! Seizures would be impossible! But its happened! What or who is the cause? _

_The Jared/William battle is inspired by the Fight Club :D  
_

_Michael will be coming back  
_

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	39. Prophecy Child

_Thanks everybody for all the reviews! There were so many! That really means a lot!  
_

* * *

Fourth Floor, Hallway

"Wh…what are you doing?" she gasped, trying to pull his hand away from her. He had managed to pull up her nightgown and push aside her panties all at once to reach into her core.

William let out a harsh laugh, "What do you think?"

"We're in the middle of the hal…Oh mmm."

"I don't think you mind too much," he whispered in her ear as unzipped his jeans. He then slung her legs over his arms, hooking her at the knees, before capturing her mouth. She groaned as his tongue gently slipped into her mouth. Then she gasped as he pressed into her core with something much larger then his fingers.

He slowly pressed forward, groaning into her mouth as he entered her slick, pulsing sleeve. He buried himself inside her. "Now its my turn to say 'Oh my God'," he growled as he pulled back and thrust into her hard. He pulled back again.

"No!" she gasped. "We cant."

With that he slammed back into her full force. "We are."

"I said no!" she shouted, her eyes turning from their natural green to a golden hue. With a giant push she shoved William away from her and let out a giant burst of energy that filled the entire hallway in a brilliant white light.

William was knocked to the ground a few feet from her by the force of it.

As she came to stand in front of him, he looked up and saw her glowing figure. She raised a glowing hand to the amulet around her neck and purposely ripped it off her neck, letting it disintegrate within her hand. "You will no longer control me! Do you understand?" she snapped down at him.

William just looked up at her, and then rolled onto his side laughing.

_Is he insane? _She thought. _Of course he's insane. He has a split personality and is pretty much a psychopath. _"What's your problem?" she snapped, the light emitting off her skin beginning to fade away.

His manic laughter didn't stop, but he pointed towards his right, down the hallway. She followed his gaze and saw a body.

"Oh no," she said, the energy suddenly seeping back into its dormant resting place.

He sat up with a look of sadistic pleasure as she approached the unmoving form. "He's dead," he said to her. "I can't hear his heartbeat anymore."

Serena knelt down beside the body and turned him over gently. "No," she whispered, silent tears running down her face. "He can't be dead. I…I didn't mean to. Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

It was one of the servants from the kitchen. His eyes were lifeless. "I didn't know he was here."

William sat up. "Seems like you're just like me Serena. A **murderer**," he taunted.

"No," she looked up to where he sat. "I'll never be like you." And with that she suddenly disappeared from in front of him.

* * *

"Drake," Jadis nodded her head in acknowledgment.

The Leader of the Elders stood in Jadis' office looking a little worse for wear.

"What have you been doing? Wrestling with bears again?" Jadis asked in disbelief, pushing the papers in front of her on the desk aside.

"No. Now what do you want? You summoned me, remember?"

Jadis looked pointedly at the chair across from her.

Taking the hint, he sat down with all his bulk with the grace of a dancer. Only a select few people were able to order him about like that, Jadis being one of them.

"I'm concerned about them being together, Drake."

"About who? If you're going to be cryptic I wouldn't have bothered coming here."

Jadis frowned. "You know it doesn't hurt to be polite once in a while. You used to be fun."

"Yeah, well now I'm not, so what is it that you want?"

"Jar…William. He's experiencing…epileptic episodes. Seizures…"

"But that's impossible."

"Well obviously its not because its happening to him," Jadis pointed out as delicately as she could.

"He's dead Jadis. We all are. There's no way that he could be experiencing a human condition unless…" realization suddenly dawned on the Leaders face as he contemplated just what Jadis was trying to tell him. "You don't mean…"

"I think it's a possibility."

Words escaped the large man as he leaned back with a sigh. "Its not possible…" he whispered.

"Think about it Drake. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition. If he's having seizures it means there's abnormal neuronal activity in the brain. But he's a vampire he's not supposed to have any at all. Our hearts don't beat, our brains don't function like a regular mortal's. Basically our 'virus' is what keeps us alive.

"However, what has he been drinking for the past couple of days? Where has that blood source been coming from?"

"Serena."

"Exactly."

"You think her blood has healing properties?"

"It looks that way," Jadis answered, also leaning back into her chair.

"She's turning him _human?"_

* * *

Serena landed heavily on her knees, throwing up the contents of her stomach as soon as she was grounded. The weight of the man's death weighed on her, constricting her chest until she felt she would pass out from the pain. She had killed someone…again.

She gasped in huge gulps of air. _Holy shit, _she thought. She stood up on shaken legs and looked at her surroundings. She had no idea where the hell she was. _Go figure. _

Her surroundings still looked like they belonged within the coven's castle, but she had never been down this corridor, unsurprisingly considering there were just sooo many. However, this hallway was slightly different. It seemed more…sophisticated. The rest of the castle she had been to looked like a frat house, but these was were painted with an elegant stroke of upper class and taste.

As she took a few steps down the hallway she realized it wasn't a hallway at all. It was a room, a long room, surrounded by different doors of all shapes, sizes and colors. It was strange.

"Where the hell am I?" she whispered to herself, drawing her nightgown closer to her body for warmth.

"Are you looking for a place of solitude? A haven?" asked a dramatically creepy voice from behind her.

Serena whirled around with a cry, but there was no one there. "Who said that?"

"It is I, Keeper of the Realms," said the soft, high-pitched yet masculine voice.

"Uh huh…" she asked, looking wildly around the hallway to look to locate the voice, but she could see no one. "And where exactly would you be Keeper of the Realms?"

"I am incapable of taking on a solid form within this dimension but I live in these very walls, the ceiling, the air, the..."

"Yeah, I get it. How did I come to be here? And where is here exactly?"

"Did you not wish to enter a place of solitude, a haven, a safe environment, a place where the un-dead are not allowed to follow? A place…"

_The un-dead can't come in here?_

"Their privileges of traveling between the dimensions was stripped when they were cast out from their homeland."

_Weird, _she thought to herself. "So they aren't allowed to be in any dimension except for this one?"

"You are correct in your assumption, prophecy child."

"Yeah, ok... So where is this place exactly. In the castle still, right?"

"Of course. Within the corridors of the underground floor of the coven of Midairne you stand, in the presence of the Keeper of the Realms, seeking a place of solitude and retreat…"

"Ook," she whispered, letting him continue but not listening anymore. Instead, she stared at the doors. The first, a few steps in front of her and to the right, was a tall iron wood door at least 8 feet in height with a brass handle. "So each door leads me to a different dimension or realm?"

"Yes, prophecy child. Realms of demons and mythical beings, universes full of new and exciting creations. Things you would never have dreamed existed are real, just as long as you step through one of those doors. You will enter the world of the dragons, or the…"

"Ok sure. I understand. Can…can you take me to where…where the vampires originally came from?" she asked hesitatingly.

"Yes, of course."

"It is not closed off to me?" she asked in confusion.

"You are not undead, therefore you may pass. Walk through the hallway, Prophecy Child, until you reach the eighth door on the let. Enter the door and I will greet you on the other side."

Serena took those eight steps and turned towards a blackened door. It looked like it had been apart of a burning building. The wood was rotten, charred and mangled. As she reached for the burned metal door handle she almost expected it to crumble, but the handle turned and she hesitated. She looked at the room she was leaving and took a deep breath.

When she took that step into the doorway, she felt the room behind her fall away…literally. She almost lost her footing, but jumped through into the open doorway.

And what she stepped into was nothing like what she had seen in the memory Jared had showed her.

Once again she stood on the grounds of what had been a remarkable gothic looking castle. It was now decrepit, looking more like ruins then any sort of castle. The vegetation that had once surrounded the castle now overran it, overrunning what had once been a fountain of blood, taking over what remained of the cherished stone house. It looked vacant, as if it hadn't been touched for millions and millions of years.

"What happened here?" she asked herself in a whisper.

"No one's lived here for a very, very, very long time," said the Keeper of the Realms behind her.

Serena gasped in surprise. She hadn't expected him to actually be here. But then again how would she return? She turned towards him and let out another gasp when she saw the creature before her.

He was strangely tall, almost 8 feet with long black robes that hung loosely on his thin frame. His greasy, long, jet black hair was matted to his skull and face while his eyes were sunken in. He was human-like in appearance, but there was something about him that seemed off.

She was somewhat scared of him, but when he spoke again with his high-pitched voice, she was reminded of how annoying he had been.

"What is it you want most, Prophecy child?" he asked her.

"What the hell are you?" she asked in a whisper.

"Is to know what I am what you want most?"

She sighed in frustration. "No, but if I tell you what I want most in this world at this exact moment, will you tell me how I can bring all the undead back here? How I can make them never step foot in my world ever again?"

"Yes."

She almost fell over in surprise. She wasn't expecting that answer. "I want to control my power."

"Then it is granted," he said, looking towards the trees.

Serena followed his gaze and saw a deranged animal come out of the shadows. It looked like a bear, but its fur was mangled and dirty, and entirely too short and thin. For a moment she thought it was just a furry man, perhaps he was a hybrid of species? A long, brown, beaten and worn cloak covered the creature's shoulders, but it didn't hide the fact that he looked malnourished and in absolutely poor health.

It walked right up to her, breathing its putrid breath on her cheek. She gulped in fear but stayed where she was as the animal circled her, as if to size her up.

When the bear stood behind her she held her breath, bracing herself for the worst. But all she felt was the gentlest of touches on her shoulder. It stepped back in front of her and nodded.

She looked shocked. _What the hell was going on here?_ She asked herself. Then she watched as the animal crept its way back into the shadows of the trees.

"What was that?" she asked, releasing the breath she had been holding.

"A _Rakmanlan_," he answered, having watched the exchange between girl and animal.

"_That _was a _Rakmanlan_? That's the species that lived with the vampires before? They aren't able to kill right?" Jared had told her about them when he showed her the memory of the vampires' paradise.

"Indeed. However, that may not be the case anymore. A lot can happen in the amount of time that has passed, prophecy child. Evolution occurs not only in your world, but in all of them."

"What's changed then? And what did it just do to me?" she asked in curiosity.

"Once the vampires left this world, the levels within the food chain were broken. Chaos ensued soon after."

At Serena's questioning look he continued.

"You see, when vampires existed in this universe, they killed the animals and drank the blood, but what was left of the bodies was given to the _Rakmanla._ Due to the _Rakmanla_'s inability to kill, they were dependent on vampires providing them with their food source.

"However, once the vampires were gone, the _Rakmanla_ had no way of getting any food. Many of them died off, but there were few who eventually evolved and gained the ability to kill. Over the last thousands of years their souls have gone dark and they care for nothing but killing and surviving. Although there are still groups of the species out there that remain true to their origins, the other individuals wish to slay the select few that remain pure.

"Now, the original _Rakmanla_ wish for the vampires to return to their rightful place within the universe, yet those who have the ability to murder do not wish for this."

"But why would the vampires want to return here at all? There's nothing for them here!" exclaimed Serena. How was she supposed to tell the elders that their paradise was just another type of prison? "Its basically a waste land. There's no blood, the house is in shambles. The _Rakmanla_ have completely destroyed everything," she pointed to the ruins that used to be a grand gothic castle. "If I'm the prophecy child why the hell would I lead them back here?"

"There is no concrete decision. You will lead them to a paradise. It doesn't have to be the one they remember."

Serena frowned. "What?"

"You will understand in time Prophecy Child. Now, I will bring you back to the other world, but what that _Rakmanla_ did was to help stabilize and control your powers. You may not feel pain in this world, Prophecy Child, but once you return to the other dimension I have no doubt you will. Their magic is not to be taken lightly. Now if you would please step through this door," he said, and a door suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Serena was still frowning, but she took a step towards the door anyways. She looked back at the place vampires had used to think of as their heaven. What a mess it was now. How the hell was she supposed to lead them anywhere like paradise? Maybe she should just bring them all here and leave them to rot. It would suit them right with all the killing they were doing. But she couldn't judge all of them based on what some of their species did. All vampires weren't awful.

She stepped through the door and felt the old vampire world fall away. She breathed deeply once she felt herself back in her own world.

And once she did she let out a gut-wrenching scream. A horrible pain filled her, seeming to tear apart her insides. She screamed again.

* * *

_Questions? Comments?__ Review please!  
_

_-Maddly Riddled_

Notes:

_If you read Full Moons Memphis is in there ;)_

_We don't know exactly who she's soulmates with...yet! There's speculation about it, but since both Jared and William are connected through the same body we don't know. But it does become clearer later on in chapters. William mostly says all these things to mess with her head. Once Michael is re-introduced into story things will come to a close...or will they?_

___Someone asked if I would write a series and I'm considering it, but based on my track record it would take my whole life to write everything.  
_

_Cheers,_

_Maddly Riddled_


	40. Powers

Library at Midairne Coven

"Serena, there you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" exclaimed David as he and Jared turned the corner of the library to see Serena standing there, by a window. But then, "Whoa..." he muttered as they stopped in their tracks from approaching her.

Every object not resting on bookshelves floated around her; books, papers, pens, almost as if they were suspended in time from falling to the floor. She stood by what used to be a concrete wall, but now it was a large, elegant window half hidden by great red curtains. Her blond hair caught in the sunlight from the tiny sliver of an opening from the curtains.

"I'm going to go get Jadis," whispered David before he disappeared the way they had come through the library.

Jared nodded before turning back to Serena, who still hadn't looked away from the window she had created. "Serena?" he asked.

"It's pretty, isn't it? The sunlight," she asked softly. All of the books suddenly dropped to the floor and the curtains were flung open.

Jared stumbled back as the murderous rays shone through the glass to burn his skin. Serena finally turned to look at him, hidden in the shadows of the library as the burns on his forearm healed. "Serena, what happened to you?"

He gasped as she moved faster then anything he had ever seen to stand before him, just on the edge of where the sunlight ended before his dark protection. Her eyes were a smoldering gold, not their usual emerald green.

Her hand suddenly lit up with the radiant light she had been unable to control, but she could control it now. What had happened to her. "If you so much as move I will shoot this at you," she threatened coldly.

_She thinks I'm William_, Jared thought to himself. "Serena, its me, Jared. I'm sorry about what happened..."

"Which part? The part where he took me up against a wall, where I killed a man, or where I was given enough power to destroy all of humanity?"she hissed.

A long silence passed between them. "For all of it. I'm sorry about all of this."

With those words the light disappeared from her hand, the curtains closed and she collapsed into a heap on the ground. It was Jared who stood before her, not William. But her emotions were already overwhelming her and she couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. "He's vial, Jared, and he's apart of you. When he does these things to me where do you go! You say I am the other half of your soul but why dont you help me? Protect me! The things he says, they make me think I could be just like him, and maybe I am. Maybe I am nothing more then a killer hybrid."

"You aren't anything like him Serena, dont even think for one moment that you are."

"You don't know that," she snapped.

"I do," he whispered, trying to edge closer to her. But she flicks back the curtain with a swish of her wrist, causing sunlight to go between them. He staggers back and sticks to the shadows once again. He looked at her, hair messed, eyes rimmed with red. Then he looked at the books she had carelessly floated then dropped about the room; Witchcraft, demons, history of vampires, the arcane.

"So its true," she said shakily. "You really can't go into the sunlight."

"No, we can't" he replied.

She crossed her arms, still crumbled on the floor. "But the original vampire can. The first, the all powerful one that created your entire race."

Jared didn't respond.

"Do you miss it?"

"Miss what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"The sun."

"No."

"Liar."

"I haven't seen it for more then two and a half centuries, I dont even remember what it looks like let alone miss it."

She spared him a disbelieving glance before looking back to the sun shinning out through the window. "Of course you remember, how could you forget. You fear it now, you dont require it anymore for survival, but you haven't forgotten about it. The way it feels on your skin, the way being out in the rays can change your whole day."

"I do fear it, but looking at you reminds me of what I'm missing."

Her lips twitched while he cleared his throat. He hadn't meant to say that.

"What happened to you today? You've been gone for most of it. Where did all this power come from?"

She frowned and suddenly the glass shattered, only to be replaced by the cement block that it had been before. She stood, turning to look at him again, "I've always had it, just never the control to wield it. But I have that now, more power than you would have ever imagined."

"You learned all this from reading a couple of books?" he asked, the edges of his eyes turning a burgundy colour. William was fighting him, fighting to be in control. But Jared wouldn't lose, there was no way he was releasing his hold on his body.

"No, I've known it all along, I've just been too scared to try it. But I'm not anymore. I've been taught the skills I need to know to harness the energy. I can do anything I wish now; invisibility, teleportation, telekinesis, shapeshifting, flying, creating something that was never there. I can defy every single law of physics and so much more."

Jared's eyes widened in awe while William's widened in anger. So she wasn't human, William had been right all along.

"I don't need a book to tell me how to set this whole place into flame with a few words, I can just do it now."

He looked at her in disbelief.

'But I wouldn't," she said. 'Because Mel, Liz, David, Michael, they're all still here. I wouldn't hurt them. I'm not like _him,_" she whispered the last part.

"Michael," hissed William, his eyes blazing red. "He's the one that brought you here. Doesn't he deserve the same treatment as the rest of us vampires?"

Serena looked away from him. "And I will never forgive him for that, or casting that spell on me. But you keep me here, William."

William let out a small, dangerous laugh. "I keep you here? What makes you think Michael wouldn't have forced you to stay as well? You know he had been following you for weeks, maybe even months before, by coincidence, you ended up at that party."

"Shut up!" Serena snapped, her eyes now blazing.

Suddenly his body convulsed and Jared stood before her once again. "Serena, if I had the choice I would let you go. I would want you to run, far, but you know he would go after you as soon as I lost control again."

"Yes, but why would you lose control? Why do you let him emerge? Why do you let him do those things to me?" she sobbed in anger.

"I try Serena, I promise you I try. But he's getting stronger. Your blood makes him strong and powerful. Even now I try to fight him off. I'm trying potions, spells, but nothing is working. Being near you, touching you, is something that gives him strength." Even at that very moment he was fighting William, and he would keep trying to find something that would keep William at bay, forever.

Serena turned away in frustration.

Jared stepped towards her, gently putting his arm on her shoulder. "I try everyday for you, but..."

She suddenly turned towards him, "Do you even think I'm the other half of your soul, Jared?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"I don't"

He released her quickly and stepped back in disbelief. "What?"

"It's not you I bring out. It's him. Every time its him. And wouldn't that make more sense? I'm the light, he's the darkness. I'm pure and he's tainted. Two halves that together balance each other.

"No. NO! What has he told you? He's a demon, Serena. A vampire. A virus. You aren't meant to be with him. Ever. You deserve better. I would rather see you with anyone else other than him!"

She didn't say anything but looked away from him again.

"I'm going to prove to you that I'm the half your soul needs to be whole. I'm going to prove it to you. Spend tomorrow night with me."

Serena was taken aback. "Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice with me."

She sneered, "And what's going to stop William from taking over."

"He wont."

"Why don't I believe you?"

He didn't say anything but his eyes spoke volumes. He would keep William away from her.

She didn't say anything for a very long time. 'If you try _anything _with me, I swear, it will be the last thing you ever do on this earth.'

"It's a date then."

She didn't smile but nodded her head.

"Serena!" David exclaimed again, this time with Jadis in tow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Please, let me look you over. See if everything is healthy," Jadis asked politely, calmly.

Serena nodded her head.

"Follow me to my office."

Serena glanced one last time at Jared before following the Elder.

David stood beside Jared and looked at him as if he also needed to be checked out. "She's been overloaded with magic, if she said anything unlike herself it was not really her talking."

"No, she's had that magic all along. She's just never been able to tap into it all until today."


	41. A Ball

_It has been a LONG time, but I'm back. I want to finish this story and Full Moons finally! Last chapter was just a filler, something to get my creative juices flowing again. More exciting things are to follow, stay tuned.  
_

* * *

Serena's Room_  
_

"He said he was going to spend the whole day with you?" Mel asked in disbelief. Her and Serena were folding and putting away clothes while Liz stripped the bed and remade it.

"He wants to prove to me that I actually mean something to him," Serena said, trying not to make a big deal about it, but she was somewhat freaking out on the inside.

"Damn," Liz commented. "Tonight of all nights? Doesn't he know that some of the demon lords are arriving tonight for a resigning of the treaty?"

Both the other girls turned to look at Liz like she had grown a second head.

"What?" Liz shrugged. "It's true. Oh my God! Maybe that's where he's taking you!"

"I don't think so," Mel frowned, "isn't that the last place you want to be? Surrounded by a bunch of otherworldly beings?"

"Oh please, its a freakin' ball for God's sake! Who doesn't want to be included in something like that. It will be romantic!"

It was Serena's turn to shrug. "I don't know. He didn't exactly tell me what we were doing..."

"I bet its the ball!" Liz squealed. "I have the perfect dress for you to wear!"

"This is..." started Mel, but she was interrupted by a knock at the door. She went to answer it but the door was opened before she could reach it and in walked Alyssa.

She was looking more herself dressed in tight clothes and overdone makeup, but she still carried an extremely pissed off expression. "So this is where you've all been hiding while the rest of us do work?" she snapped.

"Alyssa, we were asked to work here," said Mel angrily. "This just happens to be the next room of the floor."

"Whatever," she huffed. "Jared asked me to tell you that plans have changed. It wont be the exclusive night he had originally thought it would be. He completely forgot about the demons, so you're going to the event tonight with him."

"Told ya!" exclaimed Liz in victory. "Oh my god, that means we have to start getting you ready now!"

"Whatever, he'll meet you by the entrance. Don't be late." And with that Alyssa left, leaving the three girls staring at each other in disbelief.

"An actual ball?" Serena stuttered.

The other two laughed and moved towards her. "We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

After many hours of preparation, Liz and Mel stepped back from Serena to admire their hard work.

"I cant believe it," started Mel.

"You look fucking fantastic!" finished Liz.

Serena stood before them in a floor length tiered gown of gold. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, hugging her curves nicely passed her hips until the first tier where the dress went out slightly. There was absolutely beautiful detailing along the length of it, it had taken Serena's breath away when Mel first pulled it out.

"I cant wear that!" she had exclaimed.

"Of course you can, its a fuckin ball Serena! Now undress so we can get this thing on you!" she huffed.

Serena's hair had been done next. Her golden hair was half swept up in beautiful bouncing curls, perfectly framing her face. Liz had redone it almost four times before she settled on it. Her makeup was simple yet elegant, with a smokey eye and rosy lipstick.

"I'm so jealous," Mel stated as her and Liz continued to stare at her.

"Are you sure its alright? Not too much right?"

"Are you kidding, you look amazing!" Liz said with a smile.

"He wont be able to take his eyes off you," Mel stated.

"No one will," agreed Liz. "Oh shit, its already started!"

"Whatever, better to be fashionably late. And why not let him wait a little longer, its the least he could do for all the shit he's put you through."

"Technically that was William..." Liz interrupted.

"Whatever. William, Jared, they share the same body, and are probably the same person."

Serena frowned.

"Ok, I will lead you downstairs!" Liz said, trying to change the subject quickly. "Besides, I want to see his face when he sees you!"

* * *

The trek down the three flights of stairs was a lot more work in heels then Serena would have thought, but she managed to reach the bottom in one piece. Halfway down the last set she had eyed Jared at the bottom of it wearing a very straight cut tux, his hair swept back with a little gel. It was almost long enough to put into a ponytail she noticed. And he looked fucking hot. She wanted to jump him right then and there.

He was looking at her with the same sort of thoughts hiding behind his eyes. First they had widen in amazement then settled to a smolder. When she reached the last step she dazzled him with a smile. "I didn't think I would make it down in these," she admitted, referring to her heels.

Jared let out the non-existent breath he was holding. "You look...really, really great."

"You don't look half bad yourself," she smiled.

"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm.

"As much as I'll ever be," she replied, wrapping her arm around his.

He led her towards the main doors leading into the grand ballroom and she noticed they were more...extravagant, if that were even possible. The marble floor glistened with a new pulse of life, the stonework throughout the main entrance positively radiant. Was she even in the same place?

Jared put his other hand on the small of her back and pushed her inside. Serena tried to muster up a smile, but found it difficult now that she was here. This was it. She felt sick. The weight of what she was doing, suddenly and vividly on her shoulders.

_Relax, you have a right to be here_, Serena told herself._  
_

It was as though Serena had just walked into a fairy tale… Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast… or even Phantom of the Opera. It was a large, open ballroom. Shining, rich, hardwood floors, full length French windows, candles and several small chandeliers for lighting. It was even more beautiful than the entrance to the ballroom.

The room was absolutely packed with people or...demons. There were creatures of all shapes and sizes gathered within the ballroom; tall, short, blue, green, horned, scaled, tailed, beaked, taloned, muscled, skinny, fat, boned. Every type of being ever named in a fiction novel stood before her, all except for werewolves. All those in attendance were also wearing some sort of dress or accessory that denoted the 'black tie' event that this was.

On the ballroom floor the women's dresses flowed out and twirled around them gracefully as their partners guided them around the ballroom to a beautiful waltz, played by a small orchestra in one corner.

She felt a hand touch her chin, gently. Then she felt Jared's lips brush her jaw. He pushed her jaw upwards sand said, "You dropped this," meaning her jaw. She said nothing, but allowed him to lead her further inside.

"This is...incredible," she said when she found her breath again.

He let out a small laugh, "It should be. The only reason we have these sorts of things is to impress the other dimensional beings, to help with trade and that sort of thing."

"Other dimensional beings..."

"The demons, giants, pretty much everything that you've ever read about in a fictional novel. See over there in the fountain, there's Ardis and his harem of mermaids."

Serena turned her head and saw exactly that, half women half fish splashing and laughing in the fountains depths while an older man sat atop looking over the room.

"And over there is one of the great demon kings, he's supposed to be marrying one of our vampires actually. The woman whose clothing you took to be precise."

Serena blushed and smiled, looking at one of the largest 'men' she had ever seen. Well, he was part man. His body a great tower of muscled coloured completely black, but the two huge horns that stuck out of his forehead was definitely not human.

"Wow," Serena breathed out, "Can we sit down?"

"Not yet, take my arm," he commanded gently, under his breath, and she obeyed.

They made their way through the party, Jared occasionally nodding to another Demons, Elders or saying a polite, but curt "Good evening."

In another corner of the room was a small, oak bar with a black marble surface. A bartender, dressed in white was wiping out the inside of a cocktail glass and making a small squeaking noise. Jared stopped in front of him, right where Drake, the Elder stood watching his guests.

Serena gulped. Her father.

"Drake," Jared greeted with a bow of his head.

Drake's eyes never left Serena's as he said, "Good evening." Then he turned to Jared."May I ask why she is here?"

"She is my date."

Drake's upper lip curled. "I see. Have a lovely evening then," he practically snarled before he walked away.

"He's not very friendly," Serena commented quietly, her mind reeling. _Does he know?_ "Why even bothering to talk to him if he's going to be an ass?"

Jared laughed, "Doesn't matter what he's like. It's proper etiquette to greet the Elder of all Elders first when entering."

"Yeahuh...ok..." Serena said with a smile on her lips.

Jared laughed again but it was cut short when he saw who had approached them.

"Jared!" Lestat said jovially, extending a hand. Jared took it warily, shook it once, then let it drop.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Lestat gushed, never taking his eyes away from Serena. "And what do we have here?" he asked. "I didn't know slaves could be invited."

Serena was about to interject when Jared spoke first. "She is not my slave. She is my date."

"I see," said Lestat. "Well well…" he said, reaching over and taking Serena's hand in his. His hands were soft and warm. His fingers were perfectly manicured. He brought Serena's hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. His lips were like his hands, soft and warm. "I must say… you do look ravishing." He said, letting his eyes stray from Serena's over to Jared to throw him a contemptuous glance. "Who knew what you were hiding under those rags you call clothing."

Serena jerked her hand out of his grip then sneered.

Jared, felt something like hot water bubbling up in his chest as he watched the exchange between Serena and his maker. Not knowing what would happen if he was forced to watch any more of this disgusting charade, he intervened.

"That's enough Lestat." He said, his voice turning cold.

"Lestat," whispered a soft, female voice from behind him.

A ghastly pale woman, with platinum blonde hair and raccoon streaks appeared behind him. She looked embarassed for some reason, holding out a drink for him. Blood.

"Ah." Lestat said shortly, giving Serena the impression that he was bothered by her sudden appearance. It interrupted whatever little interlude he and Serena were having. "Let me introduce my lovely partner," he said, sounding more annoyed than ever. Serena found it intriguing that he could speak a sneer into a word without anyone actually picking up on it.

Before he could say anything, however, Serena interrupted. "We've met."

Kiki looked at her questioningly.

"At that party a while back. Where Michael took me from."

Kiki looked away almost ashamed.

Lestat took the drink from Kiki's outstretched hand. "Thank you pet. Could I interest you in a drink Jare?"

"No thank you," Jared said curtly, his eyes roaming the room.

"For you Serena?" he asked, locking eyes with her again. "Have you ever tasted what it is we crave so deeply?" he offered.

Serena's eyes narrowed. "Not unless it was my own."

Lestat smirked and downed the glass of blood. "Too bad." And with that he put his arm possessively around Kiki, "Have a good evening"

Jared nodded, and then turned his calculating eyes on Serena. "Are you alright?"

"This is...a little much."

"If you want to leave all you have to do is ask."

"No...I should stay. Find out what it is about me that makes this group of ...people think that I am their prophecy girl. Maybe I can change their mind?"

Jared laughed, "Sure," turning them around before suddenly stopping.

Merishka had appeared before them with her children, Nik and a girl she knew she had seen before. Reddish-brown hair and a sneering expression...this was the vampire from the lower levels where Michael asked for her to be his life partner.

"Jared, darling, slaves are not to be brought to these type of events it gives our guests the wrong idea," Merishka stated, kissing both of his cheeks.

"She is my date, not my slave, Elder Merishka."

Merishka smiled but it never reached her eyes. " Well then, little Slave, these are my children, Kailee and Nik."

Kailee looked like she was about to kill her while Nik smirked. "We've met," he said. "Jared."

Jared nodded his head towards Nik, a pained look entering his eyes when he looked at the other man. No doubt the damage William had done to Nik was a disturbing memory.

"So you're the so called Prophecy Child…" Merishka said, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was swept back into a tight, neat, elegant bun. She was dressed in a green gown, which clung to her body down to her knees at which point it flared out into a long train. It contrasted remarkably with her hair.

Serena didn't say anything but nodded. She wasn't sure that calling Merishka ma'am or Elder or anything was wise, for it certainly did draw attention to the fact that she was years younger than she was. "That's what people keep calling me."

"I see," she said, looking down her nose at Serena, even though Serena towered over her by quite a few inches.

_People keep saying that too_, thought Serena.

It was a relief when a waiter chose that particular moment to return with glasses of blood, which reduced the tension that started to rise between them all. Merishka and her 'children' reached to take a glass while Jared shook his head politely.

The fivesome stood in silence while 3 out of the 5 sipped their blood. A few moments later, Merishka spoke. "Well, you two will have to excuse us. There enters one of the five Demon kings, I need to extend my congratulations on his upcoming nuptials." With that she glided away from them, her vampires following obediently behind her.

"You alright?" Jared asked again.

Serena nodded, looking around the room. It was so much fiction all gathered in one room, and looking at them all here, these creatures most certainly weren't fiction.

"Well in that case there are some seats over there we could take," he said, pointing to the rows of tables off to the side of the dancefloor, which were mostly empty. He was giving her an out, a breather.

She smiled, "Sure."

He offered her his arm and she took it gladly, leading her over to the seating arrangements.

Jared pulled out her chair for her and she sat, making sure she didn't wrinkle her dress. He smiled at her before sitting beside her. "Are you sure you are ok?"

"Yes, fine, why wouldn't I be? Just in a room full of vampires that usually want to kill me, eat me, whatever. Just fine," she whispered the last part.

He smiled again. "What about some food? They have a whole selection. A diverse palate for a diverse group."

But before she could respond David sat down loudly beside her, shortly followed by a young male vampire who sat on his other side at the table.  
"Serena!" he said happily. "You look fucking amazing!"

She laughed, "Thank you, so do you." Then she looked to the man beside David, "I'm Serena."

He was definitely the shorter of the men, probably around her height not in her heels, with silver hair and violet eyes. If she didn't know he was a vampire she would have thought him otherworldy. Then she wondered how he had lived his human life with hair and eyes like that.

"Serena, this is my boyfriend Josh. Josh, this is Serena, but you already know that."

Serena smiled and shook his outstretched hand. "Please to meet you."

"Pleasure is all mine Prophecy Child," he responded politely. He had a nice genuine smile about him, but her smile faltered with his words.

"Everyone keeps saying that," she muttered.

"How are you enjoying the party?" Josh asked with interest. "The first time I had ever been to one of these sorts of things was right after David here turned me! I didn't even have time to experience my bloodlust before I got to experience all this magic and elegance! It's absolutely fantastic! And the colour schemes, absolutely divine! I couldn't believe it..."

"Josh, honey, take a breath," David grinned.

"Well if I could I would now wouldn't I dearest," retorted Josh playfully.

Serena smiled at them, they were cute.

"And this music! marvelous," Josh continued. "And the dancing, no one dances like this anymore in your generation. Slow dancing usually consists of dry humping to a boy bands attempt at a love song. This is real music, and real dancing. The kind that one learns through several lessons and plenty of practice! Which we all have because we are immortal!" he laughed.

As Josh continued to talk Serena began to feel more and more comfortable. Not all vampires were bad.

Nearly everyone in the room was dancing and chatting with each other. All these strange looking creatures talking together, being around each other, socializing civilly. If only the human race were like that with each other!

Suddenly Jared spoke. "As great as you two have been there is nothing I'd like more than a dance with one of the most beautiful women in the room." He extended his hand to Serena, who surveyed it for a moment. Dancing, really? Not that she couldn't, she was just surprised that he could.

Serena took his hand hesitantly in hers. But his hand closed around hers softly. "It will be fun," he said with a wink.

"No dry humping you two!" exclaimed Josh with a laugh.

"Enjoy yourselves. And don't drink the champagne!" David called after them, smiling broadly as he and his boyfriend continued talking.

Serena took his arm and he lead her to the dance floor. Jared steered them right into the middle of the floor before putting his right hand on her hip, taking her right hand in his and picking up the slow waltz as though he'd been dancing it all night.

To say that Serena was impressed was a huge understatement. Jared moved even more gracefully on the dance floor than she would've ever thought possible. It was as though he was floating rather than dancing. Serena took the first few minutes of the song to silently marvel at this.

"You're a wonderful dancer." She said finally, as he was not speaking.

"Hm..." was his reply.

"Really." She insisted. "Where did you learn?" she asked curiously.

"One of the benefits of a classical education before my turning…" he answered in a deep voice as he took a moment to look down at her.

Serena laughed openly. Earlier in the evening, she'd been nervous with him… after so many times that William would emerge and Jared would disappear she had been nervous about that happening. But now he was showing that he could fight for her, not only to William but to her father, Merishka, Lestat. She felt completely at east with him again. It was as though this was the way it was meant to be all along.

"This is the most beautiful party I've ever been to." she said honestly.

"You think this is a lifestyle you could get used to?" he asked, twirling them around again.

"Well… I can certainly see the attraction." Serena replied with a smile. "But I wouldn't ever want to be a vampire...no offense."

"Most of us don't have a choice in the matter."

"I know," she responded quietly, thinking of Lana.

A silence settled between them, but it wasn't strange or awkward, just there.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been a while for the rhythms of the song to have changed nearly a dozen times. It was then that she started to get dizzy. Too much spinning. She took a firm grip on his hand and pulled it down to her waist before wrapping her hands around his, and burying her face in his chest.

Jared slowed the pace down and simply danced on the spot. But she was tired of dancing. No, she thought, she didn't want to dance anymore. She pulled away from Jared and took his hand in hers, dragging him off the dance floor to stand near the doorway where a cool draft from the hallway was flowing in.

He noted that her face was flushing. It was strange how easily he forgot she was human, with the need for air and sustenance. He allowed her to tow him over to the door. He leaned against the wall, and was surprised, pleasantly when she leaned back against his chest. He brought his hands to rest on her hips, ever so gently.

Serena sighed deeply and relaxed against him, letting her eyes drift half shut.

"Did you want to leave now?"

"No I just need a minute."

Jared smiled, "You look like you are about to sleep standing up, lets get you up to bed. Your sleeping schedule must still be thrown off."

"What time is it?" Serena wondered aloud.

"Nearly 4am." He replied, removing her from himself. Lestat was coming over.

"Lestat, we were just about to leave."

"Oh…" Lestat pouted. "So soon? The night is young!" he said enthusiastically. "There are still festivities yet to begin!" he said, with a sadistic sort of twinkle in his brown eyes that gave Serena the creeps. "And I have yet to dance with our dear Prophecy Child."

"That wont be happening," Jared replied, shaking his hand. "I happen to know that she doesn't want to dance with you and the types of festivities about to happen aren't really her thing anyways. So we'll just be going," he said it almost playfully but firmly. Maybe so as not to make Lestat too upset, he was after all Jared's sire.

Lestat laughed openly. "The truth hurts," he said, holding his heart. He reached out to take her hand but she shrugged away from him.

He laughed again. "Do be careful when you leave, don't want you to get caught in a portal while the demons are leaving. I'll be seeing you again soon Serena."

Serena frowned but let Jared lead her away from him.

"Thank you for tonight," she said softly staring up at him.

"I know it probably wasn't anything you expected, but I had to make an appearance. I'm happy you decided to go with me."

She stopped walking and moved her hands, bravely, to slink around his neck.

"Serena..." he started.

"Shh…" she hushed him. "Just let me do this," she said putting her hands behind his neck. She pulled gently, urging him closer. And he obliged her. She stood on her tiptoes, heart racing, threatening to explode in her chest with excitement… and kissed him. She let her lips brush his gently and for no more than three seconds before pulling back.

When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her strangely. Was he going to be angry?

"That's it?" he asked, blindsiding her with his reaction.

Serena opened her mouth several times, but nothing came out. Then she laughed. "Sorry there wasn't more!"

"Let me," he offered, descending on her, his mouth connecting with hers in a deeper, more passionate kiss.

Serena's stomach was furiously tying itself in knots. She felt as though she were floating six inches above the ground. She parted her lips slightly and let his tongue invade her mouth. But before there could be more a loud explosion sounded around them.

Jared pulled his lips from hers quickly, and placed her body behind his, shielding her from the sudden onslaught of depris flying towards them. The force of it pushed her to the ground, but he didn't land on top of her. Instead he held himself up on his feet and hands to keep himself and the rubble from crushing her.

A second explosion sounded but Serena couldn't tell from where. She moved to see but Jared stopped her. "Dont move!" he shouted over the noise.

But she couldn't hear him, the sound from the explosions had her ears ringing. Jared looked up from where they were to check the surrounding area.

Everything was in ruin. Great holes had been blasted into the walls, the dishes from the tables in pieces, the dancefloor in shambles. Many were lying on the ground unconscious. But he could see, even from the distance, some bodies had seen the true death. Black ooze trickled from every pour of their bodies, body parts scattered around them.

Jared had to look away from the damage and focus on Serena, getting her to safety was the top priority. What if there were people coming to hurt her?

He looked down at her and she up at him.

His eyes really were magnificent when they weren't their glowing red.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, are you?"

"No," he says, moving to stand up and pulling her up with him.

She looked around at the damage. "What did this?"

"I don't know."

"MY SON!" screamed a woman's voice. "My boy!" Heart wrenching screams ensued from that same woman.  
It took a while for Serena to find the source through the debris, but then she found it. _Merishka_.

The red headed vampire was kneeling on the floor beside one of the puddles of black blood, holding a dark haired head in her hands.

"Will someone shut her up?" snapped David, standing a couple of feet from Merishka at a different splattering of black blood.

"Oh no," whispered Serena, looking away from what was left of Josh's body. Dust was still unsettled and through it she could see Drake, her father, exiting through what was left of the double doors. She frowned.

Merishka's screams still filled the room but soon moans and groans of pain sounded throughout as well. Lestat emerged from a pile of marble, limping slightly to the center of the room. "Bryce, access damages to those on floors 1 and 2, Isabella floor 3," he ordered. "Are all Elders accounted for?" he demanded loudly so that all could hear his voice.

Slowly people stood and began to wander to different sides of the room. It looked as though they had an emergency formation in place when things like this happened..._did things like this happen often?_

"Kailee." Lestat's voice sounded again, "Take her to her room," he ordered, refering to Merishka, who was still letting out blood curling screams at the sight of her dead 'little boy'. Kailee complied, picking up Merishka and carrying her out of the ballroom. But not before shooting a death glare Serena's way.

Lestat continued to look around at the damage with fire in his eyes. Even after all this time Serena had never seen him that angry before.

Jared slowly lead Serena towards Lestat, much to her displeasure but there had to be a reason. But she noticed that many were circling around Lestat, for he was the one in command right now with Drake absent. She followed his lead and was soon face to face with a very pissed off vampire.

"Where is Drake?" asked Amelia quietly to Lestat's left.

"He could be tracking the attacker now!" snapped Lestat, brushing off non-existent dust from his shirt and pulling Kiki to him as soon as she was in his eyesight. After quickly looking her over for bruises he shouted, "Everyone who isn't in the armed force get to your rooms and put up your wards. There will be checks in half an hour. Markus, Angelo, Athena, you will bring your reports back to me in Drake's study. Elders, we adjourn there. If you are needed you will be summoned."

"Armed Force, search the castle for the culprit. Anyone who is not a guest or apart of the coven will be brought to Judgement in the court," declared Amelia from Lestat's side. Serena was surprised she hadn't seen her all evening. "To the rest of you, be safe."

"Someone find Jadis," Lestat hissed to the nearest vampire to him. They nodded and took off at great speed in search.

"What the hell just happened?" Shane asked Jared, who held Serena protectively against him.

"We were attacked," Lestat snapped, overhearing the question as he approached them. "By _her_,_" _he whispered.

"Amik?" hissed Shane quietly.

Serena's ears perked up at that. _My mother?_

"Don't let it be known news Shane," whispered Jared quietly to him.

Shane nodded before disappearing from the room with a flash of speed.

"Who is Amik?" whispered Serena, playing dumb.

"I will tell you more once I have you safely inside my room."

"But Jared..."

"No, this is serious, Serena. I wont let anything harm you. I will have Liz, Mel, and Alyssa join you shortly. I have to help, it's my place."

With a nod to Lestat, Jared lead her from the room and through a secret passageway to her room on the fourth floor.

"I didn't even know these existed," Serena remarked.

"Not many people within the coven know of them. But considering I helped build some, I am an exception."

Within 3 minutes, comparable to the 15 it would have taken, they reached Serena's room. "Don't go anywhere, please. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Where are you going? It's dangerous. What if Amik is still out there?"

"Don't worry, Serena," he remarked, cupping his hand on her cheek softly. "I'll find my way back to you."

Serena frowned, but pulled him back as he turned to go, "Be careful." And with that she pulled his mouth to hers in an intense kiss that betrayed all the worry she was feeling.

The kiss ended quickly but he half smiled at her before closing the door, leaving her alone in her room.


End file.
